Our budget for 2024 is now in the history books. The administration got their wish list approved. Our political leadership has been disappointing. The taxpayers of Amherstburg have been taken to the cleaners.
The lack of leadership that council displayed is not only self-evident, it is also compelling for everyone to see the magic of bait and switch to what was promised. It is a total illusion.
The lack of compassion and understanding to thousands of seniors and others and the pain that this will cause shows how insensitive our political leaders are.
The wants versus the needs – the wants won the day like spoiled children that became adults and later politicians. The principle belief of economic expansion is what drives growth generates additional revenue to maintain the level of services that we need. This is not a theory, it is a reality. Balancing our budget has to be a priority without raising taxes, given that council approved tax increases in the first two years of their mandate, a total of 11 per cent in just a year.
We can only hope that they would give us a balanced budget in the last year of their term to claim how good of a job they did. Do not rejoice yet – a report on wastewater and water rates is due soon. They can surprise you one more time.
Only fools would jump over a cliff just because others have done so.
Inflation is affecting everyone, every household is dealing with it and balancing their household budget without expecting others to pay for it.
We need to have a plan for economic development. Self-promotion is the most effective way to achieve this.
The new procedural bylaw that has been passed impedes public discourse and public participation and people are not being able to ask questions from the floor of the council chamber. The best advice for council should come from the citizens that elected them.
The only consolation that we have is in a little more than two years, we can vote them out of office preventing them from doing more damage.
—Frank Cerasa
Amherstburg
By Frank Cerasa
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