-------- Your tax dollars at work ---------
WHAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW!
Did you know that it is ILLEGAL for municipalities to guarantee SWSDA debt because it is a private society? Probably not......
Do you think municipal administrators (CLerks and CAO's) know it is illegal? I believe they do...... and have known for some time......
Do you think your wardens, mayors and councllors know? You bet they do.....
SO... HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE FOLLOWING?
UNBELIEVABLY.... EVERY year all nine of the municipalities on the SWSDA Board renew their guarantees of SWSDA's line of credit at the Royal Bank of Canada! Mind-boggling!!
Here's what residents of EACH municipality owe the bank if SWSDA defaults......
Town of Yarmouth Residents ....$95,750
Municipality of the District of Yarmouth Residents .... $116,750
Municipality of the District of Argyle Residents .... $100,750
Town of Lockeport Residents .... $8,500
Municipality of the District of Barrington Residents .... $92,250
Municipality of the District of Shelburne Residents .... $61,500
Town of Shelburne Residents.... $22,500
Town of Clarks Harbour Residents ..... $12,000
Total $510,000 (Please note that Clare has not provided guarantees according to SWSDA's 2006/2007 Financial statements even though they are one of the nine municipalties on SWSDA's Board. (Maybe that is one of the reasons that Clare reps on the Board are so supportive of Mr. Anderson.....) Or was it that great junket to Austria a few years ago.... more about that later.)
This is of course additional to our yearly funding of 1/3 of SWSDA's core funding by the municipalities.
DID YOU KNOW..... that for the last two years Mr. Anderson has been trying to get municipalities to add another $200,000 in guarantees to the already existing $500,000 but municipalities have been warned not to do that by the Department of Municipal Affairs!
So this creative lot has gotten around the problem while they try to get the Provincial government to change the rules... in the following manner......
These folks are soooooo smart!
Municipalities have been providing "repayable grants" to SWSDA this year in amounts equal to the additional guarantee requested by Mr. Anderson..... Smart EH?!? Now we are not just guaranteeing debt, we are avoiding it by giving SWSDA and Mr. Anderson the money....
If the province ever changes the rules municipalities will be expected to provide the increased guarantees and SWSDA will "return" the grants received..... (;-)
BTW.... If you believe that, you probably believe that SWSDA has been holding the balance of the maintenance fund since the sale of the Boys School on June 27, 2007 and the proceeds from the sale of the Boys School in a segregated interest-bearing account.... More about this later this weekend.
ANYWAY.... THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW.... INFORMED CITIZENS HAVE THE POWER TO CONTROL CHANGE!
Ombudsman Act
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*****TRANSFORMING CLIENTS INTO CITIZENS******
CONCERNED CITIZENS PETITION WORKS!
It took a while but the petition from Concerned Citizens of Shelburne
app...
14 years ago
6 comments:
We scorned Mary and Jimmy for calling us a Banana Republic and all along it was Frank and Hurlburt who were laughing at the naive board members and stupid taxpayers.
"The first function of a municipality is to provide good government." - MGA
IAW the M.G. Act, Council Meetings, Part 1, Section 19.(4):
-the clerk shall call a meeting of the council when required to do so by the mayor or warden "or upon presentation of a written request signed by a majority of the councillors."
Cathy, Ardith, John, Norm, Roger and Doris: Your smiles on the municipal website don't bring me comfort today. With a possible change of the provincial government, it would be wise to begin making plans to CYAs and those of the ratepayers. Call for an open meeting of council to plan drastic actions to bring this ludicrous drama to its final act.
I have never met Mr. Cayer nor Mr. Gillespie, but I have been following most council and Team Shelburne meetings, and SWSDA's infrequent press releases. I agree with a previous comment - weekly and daily newspaper coverage is abysmal.
Mr. Cayer's blogspot has provided a sample of our RDA's bookkeeping for 05/06. Researching fiduciary duties of boards shows Mr. Anderson is controlling the same board of directors whose duty is to control his finances. Mr. Darian Huskilson's resignation was a smart move, and I question what motive the board of directors has in its acquiescence to the CEO.
It's fine to develop a Farmer's Market, and encourage citizens to plant vegetable gardens, but at this stage we'd prefer you work collectively to get us out of this mess! We'll hoe our gardens, while you mind the store.
I was angry after reading Mr. Cayer's blogs, and before I could delete my "signed comment" it had flown into cyber-space - I'll blame the potent coffee again. Why should I be worried about what others think of my opinions?
I suspect many are too "bashful" to reveal their identity; others don't want their business dealings in the area affected; others fear retaliation of some sort (in what form I can't imagine); and there are those who can't be bothered to fight the good fight, but will be the first to complain when their taxes skyrocket.
We have put our trust in those we elected, and it appears they are failing miserably. We have the choice to either sit back and let this drag on, or we can demand it be straightened out ASAP.
Thanks to Mr. Cayer for letting us in on his discoveries - I have never met him, but I think he's fighting a good fight.
I showed you mine, now it's your turn chickens!
Signed: S. Fry, 15/05/09
keep up the good work very intresting i wonder why the media has not picked up on this matter it would be a great story for CBC news
I agree with the above comment, "...it would be a great story for CBC news.", and I also can't understand why it is not receiving the media's attention.
We know that Frank has the Herald's top brass on his side, but there is no explanation for CBC Halifax's lack of interest in a development agency that requires emergency surgery, stat! Surely Jim Nunn hasn't switched watering holes. -s.f.
The people in Yarmouth do not seem to see the risky situation their community is now in. The Yarmouth Vanguard has taken taken their position right behind Hurlburt, Kerr and Anderson.
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