Stephen Vance, Editor
I hope at least some of our seven members of council take Meaford's Treasurer up on his offer for them to ride along for a shift with one of the municipal snow plow operators. The experience would no doubt be a valuable one, and perhaps they shouldn't stop there.
Just as I believe that upper management types in...
Stephen Vance, Editor
It has certainly been a depressing few weeks in the newspaper business as another round of layoffs and paper closures has punched the industry in the gut once again.
Our nation's largest daily newspaper, the Toronto Star, dropped the axe on nearly 300 employees with the announcement that they would close their printing plant, and instead outsource the...
Stephen Vance, Editor
Meaford councillor Tony Bell was clearly frustrated Monday night, as he attempted to draw out of the municipal treasurer (who doubles as the top dog in the roads department) just what he is supposed to say to ratepayers who phone him to complain about the state of their roads now that the winter snow has arrived.It was...
Stephen Vance, Editor
I've seen some comments on social media recently suggesting that there isn't enough for our kids to do in Meaford, and that the municipality should be pumping more money into programs for kids.
Some of those comments pointed to Collingwood and Owen Sound as examples of the kinds of services, facilities, and programs that should be available in...
Stephen Vance, Editor
Some Meaford residents should be forgiven if they opt out of participating in the newly announced branding initiative being undertaken by the municipality. It was only five years ago that dozens of businesses and individuals participated in a branding exercise that resulted in the adoption of the slogan 'The Other Big Apple', despite the participants and the...
Stephen Vance, Editor
Another year has come to an end, and what a year it has been in the Municipality of Meaford.
2015 was somewhat of a transition year in this municipality as a newly elected council with four rookies found their feet, while ratepayers hoped that the new councillors would stand by their campaign promises.
For a scribe like me, a...
Stephen Vance, Editor
Cut costs, residents said repeatedly leading up to and throughout last year's municipal election campaign. Cutting costs and fixing our roads are common themes in the council chamber, and this winter, Meaford residents might just get a taste of what cutting costs truly looks and feels like when our roads department begins some tinkering with response times...
Not to suggest that serving on a municipal council should be a walk in the park, but it has to be a frustrating enough job to begin with, let alone having to answer for the decisions and mistakes of previous councils.
This municipal budget season has been a bit of a yawn-fest, which is a good thing actually. Municipal reserves...
Stephen Vance, Editor
Later this month, Meaford's council will vote to approve the 2016 municipal budgets – that is if they're done adding items. At their last meeting, our group of seven councillors almost seemed to be competing to add to the proposed increase in the 2016 operating budget, which as of the end of the November 23 meeting had...
Stephen Vance, Editor
At the Monday, November 23 council meeting, a notice of motion was made by Councillor Jaden Calvert that in part makes perfect sense, but a paragraph at the end of the notice of motion makes far less sense.“Whereas, the Town of Collingwood passed By-law No. 2015-077 permitting the use of Pedelecson multi-use trails, including the Georgian Trail,...
