EDITORIAL:
Wreath on an outhouse
by Brandon Mayer
One of the stories in the last issue of the Times, released on May 22, announced that the large digital sign at the Sam Ault Arena had been replaced, more than a year and a half after it was originally damaged in a single vehicle crash. Of course, many readers likely already knew about the sign’s replacement as a result of simply driving by the arena. This is why news stories work best when they add more substance to existing public knowledge. Any good reporter will go after additional facts to be able to provide readers with something they didn’t already know, especially in a small community where word spreads quickly. Most of time, it’s simply a matter of asking the right people for more information.
In the case of the arena sign, I wanted to know why it took 19 months to replace. Not in a “gotcha” kind of way (I was sure there were legitimate reasons for the delay), but simply out of curiosity. There is one particular member of Council who believes in total transparency – John Lennox. I often contact him for quick answers on Township matters. When I asked about the delay in getting the arena sign replaced, I got clear answers from Councillor Lennox: There was an initial delay because the father of the person who wrecked the sign wanted to pay out of pocket for the damage, but then changed his mind; insurance negotiations ensued because the automobile insurance company was initially not offering a fair settlement.
Councillor Lennox always urges me to contact others within the Township to check for any discrepancies in the facts he has provided, since Councillors don’t work daily and in-depth with information like Township staff do. In the case of the arena sign backstory, I initially left a phone message with the wrong person, and received a call back from Recreation and Culture Director, Meaghan Meerburg. She asked me to provide a copy of the arena sign article by email, and then replied with one fact correction, and a request that the two short paragraphs of information provided by Councillor Lennox (regarding insurance negotiations, summarized above) be replaced with a very generic statement reading: “The Township is thrilled to see a new sign erected. We know that the community missed it. The replacement is something that our staff team has been working diligently with the responsible party to restore.”
I replied to the Director’s email stating that I would add her comment to the end, but would not be replacing Councillor Lennox’s information. Every resident of the Township of North Dundas deserves to know everything they want to know about how the Township is run, and where ratepayer money is spent. There is no reason for anything to be kept secret or to be paraphrased in a corporate sounding way. In my view, even some of the local closed session Council meetings ought to be open sessions.
There is a very well-written article in this issue of the Times by Paul Cormier. In the article, Paul argues that a “yes” culture is a marker of a good quality municipal government. A “yes” culture doesn’t mean rubber stamping big decisions and engaging in out-of-control spending. It simply means that thinking outside the box to make progress happen creates a much happier population than a constant game of “please” and “no”. A prime example given by Paul is the idea of fundraising for projects the community wants to see, rather than just providing an immediate and firm “no” for budgetary reasons. Here in North Dundas, the astronomical amount of money raised for the new Dundas Manor shows how much community members are willing to give for projects that matter to us.
One of Paul’s arguments is that open collaboration with residents – which includes listening to resident feedback and taking it seriously – is critical in local government. His example of a municipality simply giving out a survey to check off the consultation box rings alarmingly familiar for the situation in North Dundas. And it’s no wonder, when certain officials don’t even want us knowing about routine insurance negotiations happening with our tax dollars, and instead want to provide fluffy corporate speak.
I can’t stand fluffy jargon. If you put lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig. If you hang a wreath on an outhouse, it still smells like crap. In the words of Judge Judy – “don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining”. The mandate of this newspaper will always be to report facts, not fluff.
I am not a black and white thinker, and I don’t hate every decision the current Council has made. It’s a tough role. With every decision made, someone will complain. But that’s the gig. To be elected to Council is a great honour, and one that demands a continuous fight for the greater good.
North Dundas Council is currently playing catch up after decades of little progress. Nothing can be expected to happen overnight, and yes, taxes are getting higher as the Township struggles to pay for repairs and maintenance and development that should have happened long ago. I’m feeling it too – our property tax is now hovering around the $4,000 mark annually. The decision to catch up means that decades of other Councils’ poor decision making will fall on the shoulders of the current Council. It’s a noble, selfless effort, but many more residents would be supportive of this “catch up” if they also saw new value for their money. Small investments – like agreeing to mow the lawn at a new Chesterville dog park – would pay off immensely in this regard.
Residents of North Dundas are nothing if not proud and open. We like to talk, and we just want a Council that likes to listen. A demand for straight facts and transparency is definitely the starting point. For this reason, I reiterate an offer that has been on the table since 2022: any Council member or Township employee that wishes to reach North Dundas residents by direct mail is offered space in the Times for free, as often as they would like. I’ll pay the printing, I’ll pay the mailing, they just need to provide the conversation. What better way to connect with residents? Enough talk about transparency – it’s time to see it in action. Other great things will surely follow.