Amalgamation keeps raising its ugly head (Dec. 11). Vernon council is pushing for a governance study specifically to look at amalgamation. Reasons in favour of amalgamation seem to centre about reducing levels of government and avoiding duplication of services.
Please give your head a good shake.
The only duplication is in the positions of mayor and council. They are the ones that really are token workers.
Everyone else has a job to do, an area to cover or a responsibility to oversee. This will not mean a decrease in workers or equipment.
What the burghers of Vernon fail to ask is, “How do the citizens of Coldstream feel about this?”
For instance, I am underwhelmed by the decision to do away with the easily accessible tourist booths at each end of town in favour of renovating a building that should have been torn down long ago.
Did Greater Vernon pay too much money, as usual, for this and now must do something with it at any cost?
I’m sure we can all think of similar boondoggles over the years.
My feeling is that when the City of Vernon can show a significant track record of above-average decision-making and governance that doesn’t appear to be patched together for political expediency but for the good of the community, then that is the time to talk about amalgamation.
Simo Korpisto
Vernon
