Councillor Yvonne Wills Responds

Kearney Councillor Yvonne Wills writes:

Big Kudos go out to the Kearney Dog Sled committee for another successful year.  Our chairperson Lisa Houliston and the team put their all into this event, however, just a note to let you know, that you have been misinformed regarding Council Participation.

In addition to myself, Councillor Ball and Councillor Murdy, Councillor Sainsbury also stood out in the Frigid weather manning the Parking Lot on the corner of Main St. and Rain Lake Road for the majority of Saturday, as was also Councillor Wadsworth and her husband who were on Trail attendance Saturday and Sunday  at the Rail Bed on Rain Lake Road.

Just thought it would be only fair to mention, that they did indeed support this event by Volunteering of their time.

Yvonne Wills

Councillor

For the Town of Kearney

It's nice to see that Councillors Sainsbury and Wadsworth have become more active in the community and they both scored extra points for this in our 2011 report card. But so long as Sainsbury continues to push for service cuts (i.e. sidewalk plowing and rink attendant) and Wadsworth continues to treat us like idiots about Kearney's financial state, standing around isn't going to score too high with us. So, thanks for coming out, Steve and Louise, but your (and our) priorities are elsewhere right now.

Remember This?

Robert A. Goodings

In October 2010, Paul Tomlinson supporter, fellow Proudfooter, and Sand Lake Property Owners Association Chairman Robert A. Goodings sent out this open letter, in which he speaks about "Us" and "Them" politics:

Then, in November 2010, another Paul Tomlinson supporter, and fellow Proudfooter Jim Skelton sent out this open letter in which he also speaks about divisiveness:

But In the fall of 2010, the Almaguin News also had some things to say about "Us" and "Them" politics:

"...it is with more than a little trepidation this week that we acknowledge the remarks of mayor-elect Paul Tomlinson from the Town of Kearney.

By highlighting how he built his electoral success by sowing and nurturing the seeds of anger amongst seasonal residents, Tomlinson has show a great deal of recklessness in that he is not afraid to play “us” and “them” politics in a small community. We find equally disturbing the manner in which he describes the way seasonal residents seemed determined to use the ballot box to punish local residents with a slate of their choosing.

Since Mr. Tomlinson couldn’t take the time to be gracious, we will take a moment to acknowledge the contributions made by incumbents Charlie Zummach, Mary Lesperance, Shirley Reeds and Bob Tilley. We have found all of these people to be hard workers for the betterment of the community not just in their roles with council but also in the many community groups and volunteer opportunities they have taken on and led. When we attended functions in Kearney we didn’t just find them in attendance but working hard in the kitchen, at registration tables or elsewhere to do their part to make events a success.

The newly elected members of Kearney council have some big shoes to fill and mayor-elect Tomlinson would do well to acknowledge as much.

With the start that he is off to in to his four years in office, we do not predict there will be any healing of rifts in the community of Kearney. We believe there is every reason to think that strife and fractiousness will be the hallmarks of his term.

We put it to you Mr. Tomlinson to prove us wrong."

Now, a year later, Mssrs Skelton and Goodings, and other once-vocal Proudfoot Property Association critics, like Dave Matson and Robert Pritchard are deafeningly silent. Where are the outraged letters about "Us" and "Them" politics now?

Are You Surprised?

Kearney on the Rocks

(WARNING – This article contains material that might be upsetting some viewers)

As we mentioned, Kearney council has posted its year-end Budgetary Control Document for 2011, which claims a surplus of $132,094.41. But this doesn't make sense because in 2011 the Town’s revenues dropped by $1,090,332.21 (or 21.6%) from 2010.

But Louise Wadsworth’s explanation for the $132,094.41 surplus is that the Town’s expenditures are also down by $1,222,426.62 (or 24.2%).

That sounds good as a sound-bite, but how can council chop 24.2% out of the Town’s Operating Budget without jeopardizing the well-being of the Town, its services, maintenance, infrastructure, etc? Well, they can’t.

So, where did they getting the money?  Louise Wadsworth's answer was quite simple:

1. Don’t pay any of the Town’s debts and let the interest pile up as our credit rating goes down.
2. Drain the Town’s Reserves (emergency savings) and pray we don’t need a new fire-truck, roads vehicles, or building, road, trail, boat ramp, dock, or bridge repairs. Or have a flood, forest fire, or other natural disaster.
3. Don’t replenish or build up the Reserves and pray we don’t need a new fire-truck, roads vehicles, or building, road, trail, boat ramp or bridge repairs, etc. Stall major projects, such as the Build Canada Project to improve Kearney’s roads (and lose the grant money). The next phase of the project was to reconstruct portions of Highway 518 and Chetwynd Road.

Now take a look at the 2012 Budget.

Revenues for 2012 are predicted to be $3,790,106.00. This is down by another 25%, from 2011’s revenues of $5,051,096.00.  

The operating budget for 2012 is set at $3,555,330.00.  

That leaves just $234,776.00 for Capital Investment (That’s stuff like roads, bridges, docks, building and vehicle maintenance, etc).

But the 2012 budget expects Capital Investment for 2012 will cost an astronomical $1,667,178.00! With only $234,776.00, where are we going to get the other 1.4 million dollars?

Again, Louise Wadsworth’s answer is simple, if hard to find behind all the smoke and mirrors:

Deplete the Reserves. And try to fool all of the people, all of the time.

Council (really the Proudfoot Four) passed the 2012 Budget in record time, without consideration for the shortfall from 2011, and without consideration for Kearney’s future. At the rate Kearney’s resources are being depleted, the Town of Kearney could very well be bankrupt by 2014.

Are You Surprised?

The Numbers Prove It's A Pay Increase

When the Proudfoot Four voted themselves a pay increase back in November, Deputy Mayor Louise Wadsworth tried to bamboozle us into believing it was a decrease.

Here's how she spins it:

Last year, council cost the taxpayers $55,000.00. With the new pay scale in 2012, Wadsworth wants us to believe that council will only cost us $51,600.00. If you believe Wadsworth, the Proudfoot Four are saving us $3,400.00 per year.

But here are the real numbers from the Kearney Budgetary Control Document released February 1, 2012:

The $55,000.00 was the amount budgeted, not the amount it cost. What the town actually paid was only $47,575.00. So council's new "salary" (which they'll get paid no matter how little they do) of $51,600.00 will really cost us $4,025.00 (or 8.5%) MORE each year, or $12,075.00 MORE over the remainder of their term in office. And don't forget that council also had a pay increase in 2011. But Deputy Mayor Wadsworth thinks that we townies are far too stupid to figure that out and claims it's a 6.2% decrease.

The new 2012 pay increase will mark the most any council has ever cost the taxpayers of Kearney in its 100+ year history.

Are You Surprised?

Dog Sled Races a Success, But Where's Pauldo?

Kearney councillors Yvonne Wills, Art Murdy, and Ken Ball really pitched in at this year's Kearney Dog Sled Races, helping to make it a great success. Shoulder to shoulder with Yvonne, Art, and Ken were councillors from Perry Township, who also volunteered their time.

But where were the Proudfoot Four?

Mayor Paul Tomlinson strutted out the Chain of Office just long enough for a photo-op, then high-tailed it back to Proudfoot so he wouldn't have to talk to any of the "trash", as he's been known to call some local residents. Deputy Mayor Louise Wadsworth, Councillor Steve Sainsbury, and Councillor Barry Dingwall didn't even bother with the photo-op. Lucky for us, the Perry Township councillors don't mind rolling up their sleeves and picking up the slack for our do-nothing whiners from Proudfoot.

But at least Mayor Tomlinson didn't try to micromanage the Dog Sled Committee and the event was a huge success. 

So has Tomlinson learned his lesson after seeing how well an event committee can function without his interference? Maybe there's a chance to save Regatta, but Tomlinson had better act fast. If he'll man-up and admit that he blew it with the Regatta volunteers, pledges council's full and unconditional support, and promises not to try to micromanage the committee, maybe volunteers will come back and Regatta will be saved. Or "Just-one-voice" Tomlinson can continue to be an arrogant, self-righteous asshole who never admits to doing anything wrong and drive the final nails into the Regatta's coffin.

Tomlinson Solves Sidewalk Shovelling Dilemma

Tell your MPP to do it!

Way to apologize to Norm Miller for being such a big suck at last year's dog sled races, Paul. No wonder he and MP Tony Clement are boycotting this year.

Are You Surprised?