Amherstburg council postponed budget deliberations scheduled to start Tuesday with a contentious recorded vote taken at Monday night’s meeting.
Coun. Joan Courtney asked for a postponement to allow the process to include one public meeting on the proposed 2016 budget.
Council was supposed to hold deliberation meetings Tuesday and Wednesday of this week with a third scheduled for Thursday, if necessary.
Now, an extra public meeting has been set for Saturday and budget deliberations won’t begin until next Monday.
“I have received concerns that the public feels they have been left out of the process,” Coun. Diane Pouget said.
Coun. Leo Meloche opposed the motion noting that all three deliberation sessions are open to the public.
“I can’t see why we have to backtrack on what we’ve already decided,” said Meloche, who described backtracking as “unprincipled and calculating.”
Files: Amherstburg councillor Rick Fryer.
Coun. Rick Fryer supported the delay.
“Time is on our side, we’re more than six months ahead of schedule from last year,” he said.
Fryer and Pouget noted they weren’t available for the original all-day session Tuesday.
Coun. Jason Lavigne said last year’s four public input meetings were well received.
“I’m a little taken aback that we didn’t at least have one,” he said. “I think we should have at least one open mike session.”
Mayor Aldo DiCarlo, deputy mayor Bart Dipasquale and Meloche opposed the motion.
DiCarlo said he wasn’t opposed to holding a public meeting but he preferred sticking with the original dates.
Council agreed to host a public meeting at the Libro Centre, Saturday, Nov. 28 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Town administration and members of council will be available to answer questions about the proposed budget which calls for a 2.1 per cent increase to the tax rate.
Some members of the public feel the proposed budget actually represents a 6.1 per cent bump because it includes a pair of two per cent levies built in for capital replacement and capital reserves.
Council agreed to new deliberation dates Monday, Nov. 30 from 4 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Wednesday, Dec. 2, if necessary, from noon to 6 p.m.
