Monday, August 18, 2008
And it starts...
This one's put work to a bit of a standstill, with everyone in the office at the windows chatting with a hint of excitement or fear. Which camp do you belong in?
Friday, August 1, 2008
What's next on council's agenda?
The City of Ottawa is having a bad run since the election. That the mayor couldn't keep his election promise to freeze taxes shouldn't actually surprise anyone, but there's a growing list of legal matters that the city has racked up since the election that are troubling (and potentially quite costly). It really makes you wonder what this council is trying to accomplish, if it's trying to accomplish anything at all. Here's the breakdown, in no particular order.
1. Before the election, council agreed to build LRT, complete with contract. Long story short, they voted on it again after the election. Now, it's important to note that we're talking about almost all the same council members here. So, following the election they voted on the same thing they previously approved, only this time they decided to cancel the contract. Not shockingly, the group they had the contract with wasn't impressed with this apparent flip-flop. The city is being sued for $177 million over the cancelled contract.
2. There's no point going into the sewage overflow of 2006 since I've mentioned it in previous posts. Suffice it to say that this could cost the city a bit of money. The provincial Ministry of the Environment has charged the city with two alleged offences under the Ontario Water Resource Act. The first charge is for allegedly causing or permitting the discharge of material, namely sewage, into the Ottawa River. The second is for allegedly failing to notify the ministry on Aug. 15, 2006. The fines can be anywhere from $25,000 to $6 million for each day or part of a day on which each offence occurred. That could put taxpayers on the hook for around $72 million.
3. This one isn't specific to council, but is instead related to the mayor (the supposed leader of council). Old news, but he's been charged with two criminal counts related to the bribery probe stemming from the election. Innocent until proven guilty, he hasn't relinquished his post. Only time will tell on this one.
With leadership that brings these sorts of results... well, I'll let you decide how to finish that one. November 2010 can't come soon enough.
1. Before the election, council agreed to build LRT, complete with contract. Long story short, they voted on it again after the election. Now, it's important to note that we're talking about almost all the same council members here. So, following the election they voted on the same thing they previously approved, only this time they decided to cancel the contract. Not shockingly, the group they had the contract with wasn't impressed with this apparent flip-flop. The city is being sued for $177 million over the cancelled contract.
2. There's no point going into the sewage overflow of 2006 since I've mentioned it in previous posts. Suffice it to say that this could cost the city a bit of money. The provincial Ministry of the Environment has charged the city with two alleged offences under the Ontario Water Resource Act. The first charge is for allegedly causing or permitting the discharge of material, namely sewage, into the Ottawa River. The second is for allegedly failing to notify the ministry on Aug. 15, 2006. The fines can be anywhere from $25,000 to $6 million for each day or part of a day on which each offence occurred. That could put taxpayers on the hook for around $72 million.
3. This one isn't specific to council, but is instead related to the mayor (the supposed leader of council). Old news, but he's been charged with two criminal counts related to the bribery probe stemming from the election. Innocent until proven guilty, he hasn't relinquished his post. Only time will tell on this one.
With leadership that brings these sorts of results... well, I'll let you decide how to finish that one. November 2010 can't come soon enough.
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