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…
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…
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…
Non residents dominate Victoria council (Update)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Since this story first appeared in Feb. 2020 there have been a few updates: In the Dec. 2020 byelection Stephen Andrew was elected to Victoria council – he…
What have we learned about dealing with a crisis?
Still no integrated emergency plan or rehearsal A year into the anticipated pandemic, what have we learned? Are there lessons to be had for dealing with crisis? The most basic…
Constant controversy swirls around local councils
Our municipal leaders seem to have turned governance into a blood sport that features better drama than anything found on Netflix. Local politics by its nature – there are strong…