Why Kearney Has to Hire Its Own CBO

In the April 28, 2011 print edition (not available online) of the Almaguin News (Page 5), Mary Beth Hartill has written an article on why building services negotiations have ground to a halt. It's a well written article but it can be a bit tough chewing through Mayor Paul Tomlinson's double-talk (or outright B.S.).


So let's see if we can sift out the facts. (Some of this has already been covered.)

Kearney used to share Chief Building Officer Paul Schaeffer with Perry Township.

Tomlinson told council that "it's the law" that the town advertise the CBO position when the contract expires. We've already established that that was total B.S.

Tomlinson, who nobody outside of Proudfoot likes anyway, completely disrespected Perry Mayor John Dunn by not bothering to let him know that Kearney was looking elsewhere for a CBO. (Burned bridge number 1).

Tomlinson, after reading our blog, sees the potential PR fallout of paying triple for CBO services at the taxpayer's expense and starts canvassing other municipalities for shared services.

After realizing that no other municipality will do business with him, Tomlinson goes sucking back to Perry township and Paul Schaeffer. Paul Schaeffer makes it well known that he'd rather quit than work for Tomlinson again. (Burned bridge number 2)

Mayor Dunn, diplomatically, cites the loss of their building inspector as the reason they'll no longer negotiate CBO services with Kearney. 'Cause that building inspector was the very last of his kind, so there are no more... anywhere... forever. Tough luck, Paul.

So Kearney is back to having to hire a full-time CBO at TRIPLE the cost to the Kearney taxpayer.

But according to Tomlinson, MAYBE we'll be able to contract out to another municipality, and MAYBE the CBO can do the By-law Enforcement job, too.

And MAYBE Tomlinson will stop being such an asshole and pissing off other mayors and town staff and bull-shitting the public.

In the meantime, the Proudfoot Four have promised their masters a reduction in taxes this year...

Stay Tuned.