Regarding the letter of Ron House on April 23, he says that, to the best of his knowledge, the new council had not entered into any major financial commitments in 2007, so how can Mayor Claude Doughty be held responsible for the town’s financial situation?

In the same paper, the editorial states that the finance chair, Chris Zanetti, said, “We feel that (the 6.4 per cent tax increase) is not a lot to pay for the increased services we are providing you.”

So it appears that there are some new increases with the new council. Perhaps not a good idea if, as Mr. House indicates in his letter, the current council was left with a huge financial commitment from the previous council.

Mr. House also states that the previous council used some creative financing by listing a $25,000 taxation revenue from the River Mill Project, even though the prospective townhouses have not been and may never be built. And that $100,000 of new taxation went to the strategic plan, instead of a more useful location, such as road repairs.

The newspaper’s editorial states that the current council has managed to balance its books by counting as a revenue the sale of the former MTO building, even though it has not been and may never be sold, and is counting a substantial surplus from the River Mill Project, even though that is not yet finished.

Not to mention the $100,000 the council paid to cancel the Evanco contract that also could have been used for road repairs instead.

Mr. House goes back in time to 1991-1997 and the House/Clark years, which is very interesting. If he had gone back a little further, to 1985-1988, he would have seen that Mr. Doughty was elected as a high-profile candidate for the one term, and that he left council before his term was complete. Also interesting.

In my opinion, Mr. Sven Miglin did a good job with the finances of the town. During the term he was in council, the town did build the Algonquin Theatre and, by the end of its term, had everything ready to go with the building of River Mill Park. It would have been completed by June of 2007.

In closing I would like to say that Mayor Doughty has had a lot to deal with. The call for a judicial inquiry must have weighed heavily on him as it was to deal with

myriad issues throughout the 2007 year of council. The town would be responsible for all expenses and there are no funds in the 2008 budget for it.

Greaves said, “Quite frankly, I think the community probably had a good idea about what has transpired and the court of public opinion will be probably the most effective.”

And I say amen to that.

Marilyn Laycock,
Huntsville