Centre Wellington Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj is wondering if a councillor’s criticisms of the municipal budget would have been fewer if he had attended the budget meetings.
Councillor Bob Foster wrote to this Newspaper on March 26, attacking the budget passed by council and criticizing his fellow councillors for financial trickery and spending too much. He received two letters of support from citizens the following week.
Ross-Zuj said in an interview last week she has spoken with other councillors “on the team” and they are disappointed with Foster’s claims.
She said Foster attended only one of the budget meetings, where council was just coming to grips with a grant cut. The province was threatening to reduce the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund grant of $1.4-million which, she said, would have forced an automatic 17% increase on taxpayers. With much lobbying, that grant was reduced by about $308,000, which is about a 5% increase to taxpayers.
Ross-Zuj said council still managed to come in with a 2.3% spending increase, and that could have been a tax cut without the grant loss.
“We had two full days” of budget deliberations, and it was at the end of those talks that the budget was completed, she said, adding Foster was missing.
At council, Foster did not vote on the budget and he was also given an opportunity to comment about it when reporters at the council meeting asked if anyone had anything to say about the document just approved.
No one offered any comment. The next day, Foster sent his letter to the editor.
“I didn’t see his hand go up [in opposition],” Ross-Zuj said. Neither did other councillors or the reporters.
In his letter, Foster accused fellow councillors as “not being above board with its citizens.” He referred to the transfer of half the GRCA levy to the water budget.
Ross-Zuj said if Foster had attended the budget meeting, he would have known the transfer is something that should have been done years ago, because both issues are environmental. She said councillors learned the province was urging that transfer take place and, more importantly, those costs will not be added to the water bill this year, or in the future.
Ross-Zuj said of Foster’s letter, “It’s so easy being the critic out there. You have to be at the table. I was pleased with the process. We said, ‘Let’s find solutions. Let’s come in with ideas and let’s all work together.’ ”
She added that Foster had presented “no ideas.”
His letter criticized the spending on the Fergus Grand Theatre. Ross-Zuj said during those discussions, councillor Walt Visser offered some positive possibilities for using the theatre during afternoons to see its revenue climb.
“We’re looking at solutions,” the mayor said. “We sat and talked about things we could do.
“We’re coming up with ideas to make it better. That’s what’s exciting about working on the team.”
She added the councillors who did attend the budget meetings were “very, very upset” at Foster’s criticism.
“And people believe it. That’s the saddest part. Did you offer some solutions? It’s easy to be the critic.” She said councillors have worked hard on many committees and looked for solutions to township problems, with little contribution from Foster.
She added council has not borrowed a single cent during the current term. Instead, it worked hard to obtain grants, and used the slots cash to complete numerous projects.
Ross-Zuj said the cost of the Fergus Sportsplex is the only debt the township has, and that debt of just over $6-million runs for a total of 25 years. That borrowing was done by the last council, and she was not on council at that time.
And, she said of that, “It’s come down further.”
Ross-Zuj said if Foster wants to be the public critic of council, he should first do his duty as a councillor.
“Try being part of it,” she said.
Foster responds
Foster was contacted and asked about the accusations that he missed budget meetings.
He stated categorically that he missed no meetings, and called the accusation “bull—-.” Foster said he voted against the budget, although his hand never went up.
“A no-vote is a negative,” he said. He added the accusations simply mean, “The same as always. Somebody’s scrambling.” He reiterated, “I was there.”
Missed meetings
But councillor Walt Visser, who sits besides Foster at the council table, stated categorically that Foster did not attend all the budget meetings.
“He wasn’t at the meetings,” Visser said in an interview on Tuesday night. “We had a whole day – and he wasn’t there.”
Visser said of Foster’s voting habits, “He very seldom votes.”
Foster said the reason he did not vote is Ross-Zuj seldom calls for opposing votes. However, the mayor has stated in the past Foster has not voted so often she simply stopped calling for opposing votes when it was clear council was in favour of a motion.
As for Foster’s complaints in his letter, Visser said, “He’s politicking – east versus west.”
Visser added that at the first budget meeting, he suggested cutting services, but councillors had all “given a little” and reached a budget without doing that, with the understanding that service cuts would be studied and strongly considered next year if the province continues to cut the OMPF grant.
Visser said Foster’s complaint about private firms plowing firehalls and arenas is bogus. Arenas need to be plowed for early games on weekends, and firehalls must be plowed at all times. The township plows are busy on the main streets.
Visser concluded of Foster’s contribution to the budget process, “The only thing Bob has said is zero. He’s never said how – except fire staff. He’s never come to us with a proposal.”
Visser added, “None of us was happy with the budget but we negotiated.
“That’s what a councillor is supposed to do – not write a letter to the editor.”
