It is time for some critical thought when it comes to how our electorate/taxpayers plan to engage with our elected officials and staff of the Town of Golden.

Our community is made up of an admirable number of leaders with varied skills and a passion for future improvement.

The past six months’ emotional dialogue needs to stop in favour of a more professional approach.

I suggest that we need to go back in history and readopt some “Rules of Engagement” where a far greater sense of respect was in place, even in times of war.

This is not a war we have been dealing with.

Some history: Our town has gone through a Community Planning process.

I cannot believe how much effort there was put into the plan and how often the plan open houses were advertised to us all.

Yet, at that time, there was surprisingly low attendance.

Details such as flood control by raising the dike were put into the plan.

Once you have a plan, accepted by your electorate, there is a roadmap for the town leadership to follow.

As part of the plan, a counter petition was advertised and the B2B loan proposal was presented to the public.

Fair game in my mind.

This followed the rules of the Provincial Community Charter.

But somehow we end up with personal attacks against councillors, the mayor and town staff.

Again, we are not at war, it is democracy.

A new group has emerged with good intentions.

I would like to count all of the members of the CORE as my friends but, alas, I am not a Face booker so I have no virtual friends. I am now defending the process of engagement which we have in place for making decisions that affect our town’s future.

Proper, respectful structure, using established requisites.

How can government recognize a group without a leader and some framework such as a registered society would have?

The Community Plan Committee had specific terms of reference, a specific start and a specific end.

It would have been great if all community members engaged in the process which was laid out for them.

It is not respectful to take potshots at councillors and staff once the process is over.

Perhaps, the creation of a group which has a structure of “emails and Facebooking” is an attempt to change the ideology of how society should run itself.

It is hard to take it seriously.

We badly need take the higher road when it comes to communications while planning our future and this means showing respect for the efforts the Town makes to engage a frustratingly apathetic electorate.

Firing disrespectful shots at our officials through the social media and this newspaper is not the way to build community.

We elected our mayor and councillors.

It is important that we give them our input and respect, by communicating directly to them, to allow them to do their job.

 

Sincerely,

Golden Star