Accuracy Needed

Everyone likes talking about stuff: home, neighbourhood, town, sports, arts, culture, and the list goes on. I very much like talking with people on a variety of issues. Generally, people mostly have questions to help them understand what is going on. Other times people have their minds made up and shoot from the hip regardless of what the circumstances are leading to decisions. Then there are those who have a responsibility to be accurate and don't make the necessary inquiries to ensure their facts are correct.

Recently, May 7, 2014, Kevin McBain (KGM) wrote an editorial in the Clarion pining for the old days and made some assertions which are false.

(KGM) questions 5.5% tax increase as part of being a town.

• The Town needs new infrastructure, maintain existing infrastructure, and to replace obsolete infrastructure. 
• More than 30% of the budget is allocated to capital (this is an increase from last year and is driven by growth and the infrastructure deficit).
• More than 3% was reduced from operations.
• More than $1 million in maintenance spending was deferred.
• Reserves have been increased for the known known incidents and the unknown unknown things that happen.
• This Council worked hard to keep the tax rate down as much as possible.
• Further, in talking with other Mayors, our tax increase is one of the lowest in the province and we are making responsible investments in the community.
• I would also argue, and I have, that the Province is growing on the backs of municipalities without contributing their share of investment
• Municipalities own 63% of Canada's infrastructure with 8% of all tax revenue to build, maintain, and replace infrastructure.
• An earlier blog outlined a lot of investments, savings, and fixed costs.

(KGM) laments that the newspaper can no longer call department heads directly. 

• There is a reason for that: the Town needs to speak with one voice and the Communication Director works with the Mayor and CAO to ensure that there is consistent communication from the Town. 
• The worst thing to happen is to have the Mayor say one thing, the CAO another, and a department head a third thing about the facts or policy.
• As a rule of thumb:
• The Mayor speaks to policy, budget, and bylaws.
• The CAO speaks to implementation and technical questions. and
• Department Heads may speak regarding technical and operational specifics.
• The communication process we use is standard in many communities and North Battleford uses the same process as Kindersley.
• Further, not all Councillors and staff feel comfortable speaking with the media.

(KGM) is wrong when he says North Battleford doesn't have a Communications Director.

• North Battelford's Communication Manager is Mike Halstead and he meets and talks with the Communications Officers from Humboldt, Kindersley, Lloydminster, Melfort,  Prince Albert, Swift Current, and Yorkton to name some communities.

 (KGM) says we should take a step back.

• We have 11 plans in place for responsible and sustainable growth plus another one being negotiated; do we step back from determining how best to spend the money we do have strategically and intentionally to spending it haphazardly?
• Step back from upgraded and new lift stations so that sewage floods our basements?
• Step back from work for a new lagoon so that we don't host more residential, commercial, and industrial developments?
• Step back from work for a new regional landfill? (not an option) 
• Step back from work for decommissioning the current landfill? (not an option) 
• Step back from working with local businesses who wish to expand so we maintain the status quo? 
• Step back from working with businesses who want to move here so we don't grow?
• Step back from working with SUMA to ensure municipalities receive the funding they need for infrastructure so we can pay for 100% of infrastructure costs?
• Step back from working to ensure we make the best decisions we can with the best information we can find with decisions made in an information vacuum?
• A step back from what?
• the positions advertised help the Town contribute to all of the above.

(KGM) says there has been no shovels in the ground.

• The earth movers were here last fall and winter grading the land for development.
• the shovel turning was on the front page of the Clarion.
• Work is being done so a temporary 9 person work camp can be set up on site to accommodate temporary workers. - approval has been requested 
• As I wrote in an earlier blog updating Brookhollow Estates, KGM would have learned the water and sewage lines are being installed beginning the week after May 10.
• Has KGM seen the new buildings in the industrial park?

KGM, as Editor,  has a responsibility to speak but it is incumbent upon him to ensure his facts are correct. In this editorial his facts are uninformed needlessly causing anxiety in our community. This Council is working hard to ensure Kindersley grows and changes responsibly and is sustainable. Will we make mistakes? Yes. But the Town and its residents are not helped by uninformed editorializing and reporting as demonstrated by KGM in his editorial of May 7, 2014.

The Editorial in question is below.

KGM's Editorial of May 7, 2014