Re: No more sitting on information (News, Sept. 26)
In July, Victoria city council endorsed a “charity” approach to dealing with municipal financial pressures, pointing to a $500-million infrastructure deficit.
Going into the last election, an ailing fire hall and a foundering Crystal Pool were in the news, though city engineers and our recreation department had been sharing that and other information with council for several years already.
Victoria is not alone, and delegates at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention taking place in Victoria are hearing similar stories from cities and towns across the province.
So why is this news now?
No doubt it will be useful to receive and share reports with council and the public in a timely fashion, but the storyline that the city’s challenges have been kept hidden by staff doesn’t hold up well under serious scrutiny.
John Luton
Victoria