Mayor Doughty’s assertion in last week’s Forester that he has no responsibility for the financial mess that currently exists in Huntsville is astounding and frightening. As chief executive officer of the municipality, he must have his finger on the financial pulse of Huntsville.  As mayor, he ultimately bears full responsibility for the current financial situation.

When this council took office a year and a half ago, they appointed their own accountants to audit the financial affairs of the municipality for the final year of the former council. The books at that time, including issues related to the strategic plan, were found to be balanced and in sound condition.

One of Mayor Doughty’s excuses is that because of “transition issues” there was no third-quarter financial report in 2007. Apparently there was. The minutes show it was tabled by the part-time budget officer that he appointed at a meeting of the finance committee on Nov. 29, 2007. If he was asleep at the switch, where was his finance chair, Chris Zanetti?

The really sad part of all of this is that Mayor Doughty has attempted to escape the responsibility he clearly has, by blaming three highly respected public servants whose records were unblemished with former councils, as they are now, with their current employers.

These people, during the short term they worked for Mayor Doughty, took their instructions directly from him.  He is responsible for any expenditures that resulted. While they cannot defend themselves, their individual qualifications and experience, when placed beside those of the mayor, speak volumes as to where the problem lies.

In December 2007 the mayor placed an ad in the Forester, claiming responsibility for some 82 initiatives.  Although he had no right to take credit for some of them, a simple addition of the costs of many of these “accomplishments” points fairly clearly to why the town’s finances are now so shaky.

If less time were spent promoting a 50 per cent salary increase for council and purchasing BlackBerrys for the mayor and others, perhaps the mayor and Councillor Zanetti would have more time to deal with the financial mess the town is in. Mayor Doughty needs to apologize to those individuals he has unfairly blamed and begin providing the kind of leadership and direction necessary to deal with the problems Huntsville now faces.   

Sven Miglin,
Port Sydney