Walking away shows disrespect

The mayor's decision to walk away from the Innisfil/Barrie negotiations shows the utmost arrogance and disrespect towards us, the ratepayers of Innisfil.

It's like the Leafs hanging on to Mats Sundin for another three or four years and in the end getting nothing for him. Whether we like it or not, the fact is Barrie will, in 2011, be in a legal position to expand it's borders into north Innisfil (the moratorium lands) with the blessing of the province. It is inevitable that Innisfil will lose these lands to Barrie.

So, here we go again with another "Made in Innisfil" solution, kind of like the rec centre and new town offices that have wreaked havoc on our taxes. Mayor (Brian Jackson) is suggesting to bring a pipe from Alcona out to Highway 400 through private partnership. What he really means is to let a developer pick up some of the costs and we, the ratepayers, will once again be on the hook for the remainder of the costs. How many years of 10 per cent tax increases are the people of Innisfil willing to accept?

When Barrie expands into Innisfil legally in 2011 or 2012, I hope we're not asking ourselves why we didn't make the Sundin deal in 2008 that could have saved the town (and in turn, the ratepayers) millions and millions of dollars and provided the much needed services to create local jobs in the Hwy. 400 area?

Our future as residents and ratepayers of Innisfil has been decided by Jackson over the last 18 months or so, in secret meetings held behind closed doors without any public input. This is neither democratic nor transparent.

There should be nothing more important on Council's agenda than the intelligent planning of Innisfil's future over the next 25 years, and this decision should not be left up to one person. The residents of Innisfil should demand that our future be put to a plebiscite where every resident is afforded a say in our future.
Brian Wells,
Innisfil