Soul-searching budget decisions
As if balancing any budget these days wasn’t challenging enough, it’s likely to get a whole lot tougher. During a punishing pandemic that remains in control, municipal overlords must grapple…
Lack of transparency at Langford
Why was the maintenance contract for Langford extended without tender? Langford council has quietly renewed a parks, boulevards and trails maintenance contract for $2.3 million annually for five years without…
Golden handshakes, parachutes and severances costly
Do councils know the role of the chief administrative officer is non-political, non-partisan, non-ideological and independent? You wouldn’t know it by looking at the millions of dollars in financial settlements…
Violent crimes going unsolved
CFAX INTERVIEW: Chair John Treleaven in conversation with Adam Stirling at CFAX Regional police force needed Fewer criminal charges for violent crimes are being laid making it more difficult to…
Affordable housing within our grasp
Ratepayers, homeowners and renters aren’t ATM machines BY GEORGE BARNHART, BOARD MEMBER, GRUMPY TAXPAYER$ OF GREATER VICTORIA Who doesn’t want their rent or mortgage payment reduced by a third? Finding…
Fractured local governance encouraged
A commentary by Colin Nielsen, board member, and Stan Bartlett, past chair of Grumpy Taxpayer$ of Greater Victoria Taxpayers are mystified as to why governments continue to encourage fractured local…
Serving a higher purpose
Clearly the role of councillors extends far beyond their jurisdictional boundaries and underlying municipal legislation (Saanich councillor heads to blockade with other Island politicians, hoping to get arrested, Times Colonist,…
Greater Victoria by the numbers
The words of Pythagoras, an ancient Ionian Greek philosopher and alleged vegetarian, still live on a couple of thousand years after he suggested that numbers rule the universe. While unsure…
Is city bikepath consultation meaningful?
BY BRIAN KENDRICK, CYCLIST AND FAIRFIELD RESIDENT In the Times Colonist (May 12), the city invited you to chime in on the insertion of bicycle infrastructure in your neighbourhood. You…