As a long-time journalist, I am fascinated with what’s called ‘managing the message’. That’s when somebody with something to say doles out what they want you to know. Their version of the truth. Let’s take recent events in Oakland-Wawanesa. Within 5 weeks, two councillors resigned and a new budget was approved, despite petitions and challenges […]
What is the price for taxation fairness in Oakland-Wawanesa? It’s $139,872. That’s how much Oakland taxes will subsidize Wawanesa in 2019, unless this council ends a taxation imbalance that started with the 2015 amalgamation. Chart 1a shows Oakland paying 86% of At Large taxes compared to Wawanesa, despite rural residents making up only 65% of […]
During the April 15 public meeting in Nesbitt, I formally asked council to delay passage of the 2019 budget until new councillors are elected to replace Dennis Rome and Barry Fowell, who resigned in March. The unexpected departures give Wawanesa council members a 3-2 voting edge over the remaining rural councillors and seriously undercut Oakland’s […]