Campbell River’s would-be politicians should all breathe a sigh of relief.
I’m talking about the candidates who didn’t make the cut in last November’s municipal election.
Really, which one of them would want to be sitting on council now, trying to decide how to make up for a $3.5 million budget shortfall?
I wouldn’t want the job which is equivalent to that of the corporate hatchet-man. It’s not hard to predict that heads will roll followed by unprecedented service cutbacks.
You gotta do what you gotta do, as they say, but it won’t do much for their popularity. Maybe it’s a good thing the next election is three years away.
But enough harping about the miserable task the mayor and council face, I think we need to help.
Helping is a way of life in Campbell River – just one of the things that make this a great little city.
Mind you, there’s not a whole lot the working taxpayer can do to somehow come up with a few million. But here’s one idea that could help as well as make this an even better community.
We should form neighbourhood groups to look after our local parks. Grass cutting, tree trimming, planting flowers and shrubs, maintaining playgrounds, and sweeping the walkways could all be taken care of by these ad hoc associations.
Not only would this save tens of thousands of dollars annually, but it would also help improve neighbourhoods.
For instance, you can finally meet that neighbour who moved in next door four years ago. Better still, hold regular community barbecues in the parks and have games for kids, both big and small.
In essence it’s a step back to the old days when people made their own fun and took care of their own. Seems to me the priority these days is to rush home from work and sit in front of the TV or computer for hours on end.
Of course such a feel-good idea seems like an impossibility in this age of unreason.
Think back to previous summers when, due to budget limitations, the grass wasn’t cut in our parks for weeks and weeks. Only when the neighbours went out with their own lawnmowers did the city take notice, as well as the employees’ union.
And that’s the problem. We have union workers whose job it is to tend to our parks. By and large, they do a great job.
However, if there are fewer employees and they’re not going to do the work anyway, what’s the harm in turning the responsibility over to people who really care: The neighbourhood residents who use the parks.
Desperate financial times call for creative measures. I think this little idea could save money and create positive community spirit.
How can that be bad?
paulr@campbellrivermirror.com
