And speaking of the 3 Stooges...

What’s wrong with this picture? 

What happened to the commitment to openness and transparency? 

Traditionally, prior to approving the Annual Budget, Kearney's Council has always had a public meeting. Usually at a time when most of us can be available, like a Saturday, on a long week-end like the upcoming May 24 weekend, which is just a little over a week after Council intends to pass a budget that nobody has seen. 

Is it because the 2013 budget is fraught with financial mismanagement, depletion of the Reserves, continuing patronage to Proudfoot buddies, and an inability to meet fundamental operational needs, or is it just an administrative oversight? 

It could be argued that a public meeting was held, way back in February, on a Monday morning, in the middle of the winter, with a draft budget being handed out just 15 seconds before the meeting started. But, if the public meeting - which four people were able to attend - was to review the 2013 Budget, why did it take almost three months for Wadsworth, Tomlinson, and Dingwall to present it? 

Simple answer: The February version was such a load that even a cursory review by four members of the public pinpointed all kinds of irregularities. So what has changed and why isn’t a real public meeting being called? 

What are Louise Wadsworth, Paul Tomlinson, and Barry Dingwall hiding?

So much for openness and transparency.

Well, we don’t know all of what is being hidden, but here are some things that stick out like a sore thumb:

1) The version of the 2013 draft Budget presented at the Feb. 18th public meeting was dated Jan. 4th, 2013 and done prior to knowing any actual expenditures for 2012. Knowing actual expenditures helps to better predict future expenditures. During his campaign, Paul Tomlinson naively bragged that he'd have budgets out before the beginning of each year, but we all watched that blow up in his face last year.

2) At the Feb. 18th meeting, the Financial Consultant advised the committee to defer passing the 2013 Budget until the 2012 audit has been completed. The 2012 audit has not yet been presented to Council for approval and likely won’t be before July. See also point #1. 

3) There is a deficit of almost $60,000 (that we so far know of) coming out of 2012. That means Council must raise taxes 2% if they to balance just 2012.

4) The Feb. 18th version of the budget forecasted a 3.95% increase in our property tax rate to balance the budget but that’s a phony amount. Wadsworth set this before she knew about the $60,000 deficit from 2012, and she's fudging the numbers on the amount the town will need to pay in Education Taxes. 

5) The $100,000 CBO (plus an increase of 63.71% or $3872.00 for the CBO’s travel allowance) is still in for 2013, while Perry Township’s CBO is only costing them $40,700. 

6) Then there's the $10,000 deductible the Town of Kearney pays for every lawsuit (insurance pays the rest). $20,000 was paid out in 2011, $10,000 in 2012, but for 2013 nothing is budgeted. We already know of at least two lawsuits that will be settled in 2013 so where will the (at least) $20,000 to pay the deductibles come from? 

7) Wadsworth, Tomlinson, and Dingwall killed the Summer Student Program to save $5500. Sorry kids, but we hear Perry is hiring.

8) Tomlinson isn't replacing the vacant Public Works position while our roads continue to crumble. That saves $9500, but a lawsuit because of bad road conditions is already costing a $10,000 deductible so this savings won't even cover that. Brushing of our roads has been cut, saving $11,728,  but now Public Works will have to do it. With one less worker. Bad potholes on your road? Sorry, PW is busy brushing.

9) It gets better: Wadsworth, Tomlinson, and Dingwall also chopped Roadways Maintenance by $34,142. There’s a good one since our roads are already in such great shape. DUH!! 

10) And there's still no money for a 2013/2014 rink attendant. Enjoy the Port-a-Potties. Maybe if the ice is thin enough you can wash your hands in the Magnetawan.

11) Wadsworth, Tomlinson, and Dingwall cut funding to the Kearney Library by $20,360 or 80%. To make ends meet, the library will need to use ALL of its reserves, which means no reserves in 2014. Then what?

12) Wadsworth, Tomlinson, and Dingwall have approved another loan, this time for $112,500. How high is high for our municipal debt?

13) Budget Line 407 – Wadsworth, Tomlinson, and Dingwall are still planning to pay $3000 of taxpayers’ rapidly disappearing money to repair a private dock for their Proudfoot Island Lake chums. Wadsworth says it's on a public shore allowance so it's a public dock. Then so is virtually every dock in Kearney! Are we going to fund repairs on those, too? Or just the ones in Proudfoot? How about we finish work on the Town's ACTUAL PUBLIC dock, huh?

There is much more but we hope you get the picture. Normally we provide links to back our statements, but all that Wadsworth has made available is the minutes of the December 2012 meeting and some agendas. And no updated Draft Budget. 

[Addendum: We did find a copy of the old February 18th DRAFT budget here.]

So much for openness and transparency.

Kearney doesn’t have enough money to meet basic operational needs but Mayor Paul H. Tomlinson sits on his fat ass when he should be out there working with the Province and Feds to get financial or partnership assistance. The previous council proved that there's all kinds of funding available. Why isn't Mayor Jubilee out there getting it?

Public Works is being cut by $25,862 while our main roads continue to crumble and we fund obscure roads like Lawson Drive. Where the heck is Lawson Drive? Why that’s a dead-end road where some of Wadsworth’s buddies live. Probably just a coincidence.

Wadsworth, Tomlinson, and Dingwall are forcing this outrageous budget through on Thursday, May 9th without the public getting to see or comment on it.

So much for openness and transparency.

And why push it now when the 2012 audit may not get reviewed until July?

The answer: On Friday, Mayor Jubilee heads out on a one month, much needed vacation to England. Remember, bullying and harassing consumes a lot of energy. Wanna bet he takes "his" medal with him? 

We can say more but this gives you enough information to be outraged. Show your outrage by contacting your “trusted” members of council and tell them DO NOT PASS THIS BUDGET ON MAY 9TH. After Tomlinson is out of town and in England (presumably telling Her Majesty how he single-handedly deflected that asteroid in February through sheer awesomeness), Council has an opportunity to turn things around. 

Step 1: Get rid of Wadsworth as the Budget Committee Chair.

Step 2: Tell Jim Skelton to shut the !#?% up.

Thank you, Your Queenliness,
your hat is pretty, too.