Global Love Day, St. George’s Day and Solidarity for Indian Farmers
Victoria council continues to struggle managing their agenda at the expense of focusing energies and resources on the devastating pandemic and unprecedented drug overdose crisis.
The Apr. 15 agenda includes several questionable items outside the mandate of council: Staff reports regarding the proclamation of Global Love Day, requested by the Love Foundation Inc. (no association whatsoever to Coun. Jeremy Loveday!),and St. George’s Day, requested by the Royal Society of St. George’s.
There’s also a motion for ‘Solidarity with Indian Farmers’ penned by Coun. Sharmarke Dubow, a Together Victoria member, that will be debated by councillors.
“Not even a global pandemic and a provincial health drug abuse crisis focuses the minds of council,” Stan Bartlett, past-chair of Grumpy Taxpayers of Greater Victoria.
Utilizing taxpayer resources to take a position on an issue halfway around the world in a different jurisdiction for which Coun. Dubow or council has neither the mandate or expertise is at the very least poor judgement, says Bartlett.
“Taxpayers have made it very clear they want council to stay in their own lane and focus on providing quality services at a reasonable cost and resolving chronic issues, says Bartlett.
“Why is it that some councillors want more pay and reduced hours, yet they have trouble managing their own agenda while trying to run the city?”
Coun. Jeremy Loveday is heading up a city governance review that would examine ways to improve transparency and accountability, ensure effective public input and better define the role of elected officials. The report is expected this year.
This review can’t come soon enough, says Bartlett, and it should include streamlining agendas and focusing on the mandate of council and its priorities.
READ MORE
Councillor wants review of how Victoria is governed,Times Colonist, Nov. 22, 2020.
Governance Review: No argle-bargle, please!, Grumpy Taxpayer$, 2020.
Available for Media Interviews:
John Treleaven, Chair, Grumpy Taxpayer$
treleavengroup@shaw.ca
250.656.7899, cell 250.588.7899
Stan Bartlett, Past-chair, Grumpy Taxpayer$
grumpytaxpayers@gmail.com
250-477-9907
I suspect Loveday’s governance review will produce little more than a recommendation to increase councillor remuneration.