All options on the table

While the city deserves a light pat on the back for agreeing to make the business case for the LED conversion project a public document, it raises more questions than it answers. The blame for that falls on the backs of both city staff and council and it has put the spotlight on a much more concerning issue.

First of all, council needs options, especially when it comes to spending more than $8 million of taxpayers’ hard-earned money. Secondly, councillors need to ask for those options.

The fact that city staff claim they had analyzed the options and provided the best one to council is just not good enough. When it comes to the spending of millions of dollars, councillors should have more than one option to choose from. Multiple options have been provided to councillors on numerous spending items in the past, so it is concerning that it was not done in this case.

The more worrisome aspect is that those options existed, but they were not shared with council and the report that contained them was initially blocked from their view. On top of that, councillors did not view it until after casting their vote.

Several councillors have said they trust staff to provide all the information they need to make a decision.

Well, the citizens of Oshawa do not elect staff members – they elect councillors. The fact that our elected officials are not taking every chance to learn and get all the facts, but are instead rubber stamping the spending of millions of dollars without considering all of the options, is a serious concern and something that has caused scandal at city hall in the past.

So the blame is on both sides of the table, and it is here that the spotlight falls and illuminates a serious issue. There is something unhinged in the way councillors and staff are interacting.

The fact that councillors rarely ask for alternative options or question staff members’ opinions during meetings is concerning – after all, they are playing not with their own personal funds, but with house money – more specifically, taxpayer money.

Councillors say they have trust for staff and are confident they have all the information they need when making a decision. Yet, what they do not seem to realize is that some of the decisions have already been made for them.