Welcome to 2021 – it doesn't feel any different does it? I suspect that 2021 won't feel any different from 2020 for a while yet.
I hope that all of our readers had as fantastic a holiday season as our current circumstances would allow. With Ontario residents encouraged to only gather with those within their own household for Christmas celebrations...
Like most new years, 2020 kicked off with a certain amount of optimism and enthusiasm, but all these months later, most of us can't wait for 2020 to be over.
At this time last year, as we readied ourselves for the holiday season, for many in the community the number one issue of concern was the proposed pumped storage facility...
Last weekend the Municipality of Meaford kicked off the traditional festive season in a less than traditional fashion thanks to the continued precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead of seeing hundreds of residents bundled up to protect against the cold, lining Sykes Street shoulder to shoulder to watch the Santa Claus parade work its way through the downtown core,...
With every municipal budget season I am sure to hear from folks about the number of staff employed by this municipality. During this year's budget season I have heard from more and more residents who are convinced that Meaford's staff is bloated and could be slashed – some say in half. Several have asked for my take on the...
A little over a month ago I wrote about how well the Grey-Bruce region has fared during this COVID-19 pandemic when compared to the rest of the province. How things have changed in just a few short weeks.
In mid-October I wrote that, while Ontario had seen roughly 60,000 of its residents test positive for the virus, as of Monday,...
Last week I shared some of my thoughts on Council's first day of budget deliberations for 2021, which focused on the operating budgets. This week we will take a look at day two of those deliberations which reviewed the 2021 draft capital budgets where Council did find some areas to cut, as they attempt to reduce the 8.7 percent...
Stephen Vance, Editor
Meaford's Council certainly has a challenge ahead of it. With a bare-bones draft budget featuring no frills or enhancements calling for an 8.7 percent increase in 2021, well above what most members of Council would prefer, there is much work to be done to find savings in the budget in order to reduce the required rate increase...
Stephen Vance, Editor
As I sat at the back of the opera house at Meaford Hall prior to Monday's council meeting, the theatre was all but silent with just a few municipal staffers quietly preparing for the start of the meeting. During this quiet moment I found myself reflecting on the year we have all been experiencing.My thoughts began with...
Stephen Vance, Editor
A decade ago I was fully supportive of what I saw as a natural progression to online voting. At the time I wrote that I thought online voting would be fast, easy, and might even increase voter participation. In fact, I penned an editorial in June of 2013 entitled 'Electronic Voting is Right Direction For Meaford', but...
Stephen Vance, Editor
Municipal budget season is now in full swing with the tabling of the draft budgets for 2021 at Council's October 19 meeting. After several years of relatively low annual rate increases, the proposed 8.7 percent increase for 2021 will no doubt be a shock for many, including members of Council, although Council does have some (limited) options.Given...
