Leadership lacking

Dear Editor:

It was recently reported that the province is transferring about $4.9 million dollars to municipalities in Wellington County to improve the way they deliver services – i.e., to find ways to cut costs.

It was also reported that the first thing the municipalities involved intended to do is give $350,000 (7%) of this to a consultant to tell them how to do this. We have the best-educated, best-qualified and best-paid civic executive, administrative, financial and operating officers and directors in the world, who have a wealth of experience.

I’m sure many beleaguered, struggling Wellington County taxpayers are asking why our county-wide array of municipal executives and officials has to be told by a consultant (at exorbitant cost) how to do what it is that we have always believed was their job.

Is the problem that municipal staff are not stepping up, or is it that council’s “strategic initiatives” are deficient? Can we not set some priorities here (ourselves)?

Many of us feel that better, more practical and certainly more cost-effective leadership and management is needed from municipal staff and council(s).

Terence Rothwell,
Wellington North