Four years is a long time.
The changing of the length of term for an elected mayor and councillor from three years to four years is not a good thing.
In the past two terms of mayor and city council, Vernon residents have witnessed a total lack of common sense, a lack of transparency and a lack of leadership.
And frivolous and unnecessary spending. This is your hard-earned tax dollars they are playing with.
Vernon and its residents should have the right to recall elected civic officials.
When mayor and councillors break promises to serve the residents, lack transparency and breach fiduciary duties, or make costly unpopular decisions, there needs to be the right to recall elected civic officials.
The idea isn’t perfect, but the public needs to take some power back from watchdogs, such as the city administrator.
Four years is a long time to trust those who allow the pet projects, political or cosmetic, wasting taxpayer’s money and narrowing city streets.
There are projects and services that truly are required — capital works for rehabilitation and repair and that’s where the city’s attention should be focused.
I wish I had a crystal ball so I could look forward four years and see what exactly, if anything, would change for the betterment of Vernon and her residents.
Never before has Vernon seen residents and businesses protest and march but it happened on 43rd Avenue over the proposed road diet. A political and cosmetic project.
Has city hall listened? No, because the proposed road diet for 43rd Avenue is still on the books.
Heated exchanges in council chambers between a mayor and city residents should not be happening.
This has happened when residents wanted to speak to mayor and council over the relocating of the visitor information centre.
Why are these conflicts happening? Is it because of a lack of transparency and what about the fiduciary duty that is owed to Vernon and her residents?
Transparency is operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are performed. It has been defined simply as the perceived quality of intentionally shared information from a sender.
Better accountability and transparency is needed in city hall.
There is no substitute for integrity and good character and common sense.
Four years is a long time to trust some of those who want to be elected as councillors and elected as mayor.
George Serhan
