Why does Langford council sign cheques?
Unusual practice legal, but inappropriate The municipal watchdog Grumpy Taxpayer$ wonders why the mayor and councillors have signing authority to pay the bills at the City of Langford. “There are…
Holding your mayor and council to account
Your municipal council has long found their executive chairs around the table and have been managing your municipality for a year-and-a-half or so. The 2018 municipal election resulted in a…
Are quality, core services and climate change related?
Are quality core services and climate change connected? Climate change is a massive political, cultural and technological undertaking that demands mayor and council deliver better quality core services. Consider, the…
Focus on core mandate of running the city
Grandstanding? Or grand gesture?: Victoria takes it up a notch with the push for a class action lawsuit against oil and gas companies, FOCUS Magazine Interview with Judith Lavoie, March/April,…
The huge challenge of setting police budgets
Councils have the unenviable job of deciding how much tax money goes to support the safety and well-being of their community. During the next few months, it will be particularly…
Municipal taxation without representation
Thousands of permanent residents unable to vote in municipal election The 2018 municipal election is behind us, but thousands of permanent residents in Greater Victoria are left wondering why they…
Grumpy$ Media Award winner highlights tax exemptions
Series prompts action by Saanich 1st Annual Media Award winner highlights non-profit and church tax exemptions Journalist Wolf Depner of Saanich News is the winner of the 1st Annual Media…
OPINION: Just ignoring the issues doesn’t fix regional challenges
‘Just ignoring the issues doesn’t fix regional challenges,’ Times Colonist (Dec. 17, 2017), Response by Stan Bartlett to former MLA and CRD director Gary Holman column ‘Just being grumpy doesn’t…
COLUMN: Identity crisis at the CRD problematic for taxpayers
Editor’s Note: This column below appeared in the Times Colonist Nov. 17 and was responded to by Gary Holman, a former CRD director and MLA for Saanich North and the…