Facts Are Irrefutable

Tim the Enchanter has left a new comment on your post "What In Blazes?????":

In the interests of fair debate I'll cop to the facetious nature of some of my comment but my underlying point remains the same.

Yes - council ultimately approves a $79M budget but the vast majority of the work is done by staff. Of course there must be debate regarding adding here, trimming there, which is mostly an excercise designed to keep tax increases reasonable. It's not as if council is given $79M and must decide how to spend it.

Richmond Hill spend a barrel of money on the performing arts centre. I've been in it - it's very nice. Didn't realize it cost upwards of $100M but if that's the case such an ediface, albeit smaller, would be difficlt to accomplish with $33M in Aurora.

Perhaps you would agree Councillor Buck, that rightly or wrongly council's reputation for fiscal prudence has been tarnished by special interest spending of the past. Traffic calming for a "special" neighbourhood. Law suits - for which as far as I know the taxpayers have yet to be reimbursed. A very wobbly deal for the Culture centre which has yet to be rectified. An expensive Promenade Study about which nary a word has been heard since last term.
How much council time has been spent discussing the Petch House?

These are all nagging issues that involve 10's of thousands or 100's of thousands of dollars and while yes it is true they are not by and large the fault of current council - they still persist.

Yet we are to expect your group can successfully parlay a $33M windfall into Aurora's Golden Legacy?
I'm sorry but I don't think so.

Yes, other towns and cities have had their "Taj Mahal" moments as well as their spending "clunkers" but frankly I don't care about other cities because I pay taxes here and a share of that $33M is mine.

Having an annual budget laid out for you is not the same as having $33M to spend. Many parents pay for a college education could easily cost over $50,000 (in Canada) yet which responsible parent would ever give their child a cheque for %50K and say "go get a college education"? Typically, big budget expenditures are handled by the Region. Nothing in recent history serves to suggest this council can handle it.

I would rather just have the money back but failing that I wouldn't be entirely opposed to having 2 or 3 proposals put together by professionals under supervision of our town staff and have them presented as a referendum as long as None of the Above is one of the options. Winner must be by clear '50 plus 1' majority of ELIGIBLE voters - meaning if no-one bothers to vote forget the whole thing. There's no way that kind of money can end up serving the wishes of special interests. Council can solicit ideas and oversee the process.

Someone will point out "why have a referendum - we elect council to make those decisions?"
Why?
Because this isn't an annual $33M windfall that we get top spend on "something nice" that's why.
This is a one-time, one-shot deal.
When this money is gone - it's gone.

I'm sure you'll disagree but that's OK by me

***************
It's not possible to disagree with  facts. So I won't.
I will  point out though the resolution approved by Council  was to determine how to replace the asset that was Aurora Hydro with another of equal benefit that could never be contemplated 
as  a  tax burden..
The community is to have input. The decision will be Council's .
As it always must be. But it will  be taken  after the community has been heard.
You have been heard. But only on the blog. 
The  resolution  received  unanimous  support from Council  and favorable response from the community.
I  could almost hear the sigh. At last, something positive to think about.
Time goes by and no response has been heard from administration.
Several other resolutions adopted by Council  many months ago are still pending with no progress reported.  
I  note also the electorate gave firm  thumbs down on the pandering practices of the past I believe discontinuance was the message.
I believe the current Council, particularly the Mayor, has not yet understood that.
 It's  natural for  The Man Who Would Be King to imagine  he  has been elected on his  merits. 
Not so natural, when merits have not been proven .
I regret to say, I do not share your confidence that handing over  $33 million to the administration to administer would result in the benefit you describe.
Many of the clunkers  you list in your comment were recommended by the current administration..
One of the problems with the current Council is the level of collective inexperience and  eagerness to be guided holus-bolus by the same administration.
Once the election was over, it seemed the correct action had been taken . It was the biggy.  But it wasn't finished. 
People need to keep reminding  the newbies why they were  elected  and  what is expected.
Maybe they are. You do your part  on the blog I just don't know if I'm the only one getting it.and I'm not the one who needs it.
Have a great day.