To the Editor
Re: The Aug. 2 Highlands East council meeting and huge increases to the planning department fees.
It would appear that the only councillor Cecil Ryall voted against the proposed increases in a recorded vote he was defeated 4-1.
While I applaud Mr. Ryall for his stand I cannot help but wonder why he did not take the same stand when he voted in favour of closing the Gooderham Post Office when he stated he voted with the rest of the council because he did not wish to oppose his council colleagues.
Perhaps Mr. Ryall learned his lesson and has come to understand that being a councillor is not a contest for Miss Congeniality.
These huge increases in planning department fees may reflect the need for more dollars to cover some of the huge salaries being paid to employees who made the sunshine list or are very close to making it not to mention covering the cost of council salaries and the very generous benefit package they awarded themselves.
I sometimes wonder why only municipal employees and positions paid for with our tax dollars are many many times the amounts being paid to those working in the private sector of Highlands East and indeed all of Haliburton County.
I wonder if councils ever think that the ratepayers whose tax dollars pay their salaries have one of if not the lowest per capita incomes in the province of Ontario.
I wonder do they ever think about this or do they even give a damn? I doubt it.
However thanks to Councillor Ryall for finally waking up and smelling the coffee. However maybe it is time to do some house cleaning in our municipality – starting at the top.
Chuck Viner
Gooderham