A look at the Budget The Municipal Budget sets the tone and direction for the Town. Completed each year this is probably the only time most of the Town pays attention to Council. 2023 will go down as the year of the “big tax hike”. As pointed out here the advertised tax increase is not the total amount of money...
Digging a bigger hole
The new Mayor has dug himself a bigger hole for himself with the Council meeting of 28 Feb. In that meeting two item’s, illustrate the political problem he has created for himself. Prior to the meeting the problem of a Council ‘split’ emerged due to his comments made at a protest about the proposed Council salary increases. Read about that...
Not all skating is done on the Ice
In a recent post in Northumberland Today, Jeff Gard wrote an article about a protest outside Vic Hall on Sunday 26 Feb. The protest was organised by Ryan Crossen against the recent pay increases Cobourg Council awarded themselves during the recent budget discussions. Mayor Lucas Cleveland and Cllr Adam Bureau attended the event which attracted a reported 30 people. Cllr...
Tiny Homes the community debate
Sleeping Cabins update The discussion about the homeless problem in Cobourg has been going on for about forty years. Since a long-departed woman called Deedee Bedard camped her tent in front of Victoria Hall during the 1985 Municipal election. A motion was accepted and passed to establish a “Municipal Housing Authority” by the incoming Council but the responsibility was handed...
Waterfront Parking Survey Results.
Waterfront Parking Survey Results There are historically a couple of topics that inflame the Citizens’ opinions, one of them is the topic of Parking and Parking Fees. Councils have wrestled with the problem of parking for decades and none of the solutions offered has satisfied the majority enough to sway public opinion and that is that “Downtown Parking should be...
You have to know when to stop digging!
When you engage in public debate you should know when to disengage, or as the adage goes “know when to stop digging” when you are already in the hole. A recent example is the furor and invective, as well as some derision aimed at the new Mayor of Cobourg. Lucas Cleveland said he ran for Mayor to avoid an acclamation...
Last Year for Community Grants
Last year for community grants Community Grants (CGs) – perhaps the last connection between the local government and the Citizens. Often a last resort for cash and mostly a supplication to Council to reduce the payback for using Council owned facilities. Awarding CGs is an onerous task for the people assigned to deliver them. There are always more requests than...
Done & Dusted and it’s still “deceitful”
In the Cobourg News we have a summary of the second Budget Review day. This day was supposed to be the day that the Mayor would make his stand on cutting services to reduce the tax rate. Looking at the additions to the list of next year’s expenses – centennial pool, trees, beach mat and more, he did not win...
A magnificent example of feedback
Just this week an example of how much politics has changed emerged from the ether of the Internet to the bowels of the Council Chamber in Cobourg. As explained in a previous post a suggestion was made by the Town Staff person in charge of Community assets, to close the Centennial Pool on Charles St. This is an outdoor pool...
County looking at Northumberland Police Force
County looking at Northumberland Police Force, Every few years this old chestnut appears – just like a zombie the idea of a County/Regional Police Service refuses to die. The idea may succeed this time, the proponents – the people in short pants ( those Councillors with no or little experience of local politics) have proposed the idea; “Brighton Mayor Brian...
Another Budget surprise
Town to close the Centennial Pool! – that was one of the headlines to emerge from the recent Budget discussion. A couple of comments were made on the Draper report and then a “Change.org” petition was started by Meghan Thomas, a concerned Citizen. Sign the petition here. BUT checking the Town’s website a contradiction appears about the ownership of the...
When is a large tax increase not a small tax increase? When you add a Fee
Storm water management does anybody know what it is and how we pay for it? Well the Citizens of Cobourg will soon find out just how deceitful (not my words but another commenter) Council has been and the result is that a huge increase will be coming down the pipe (no pun intended). Cobourg, until this year has always repaired...
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