Innisfil council needs to give residents a clearer picture of what it is spending on the Fair Growth campaign.

There may be no better time like the present to tally the total costs associated with the campaign's recently completed first phase. The media blitz — which included a website, advertisements, lawn signs and a Greater Innisfil Chamber of Commerce-organized Queen's Park demonstration — abruptly ended when the province introduced its growth strategy for the area earlier this month. That strategy includes the proposed annexation of 2,293 hectares of Innisfil land by the City of Barrie and the Simcoe Area: A Strategic Vision for Growth plan.

Over the summer, the provincial government will investigate the future of the Innisfil Heights employment area, as well as potential compensation for the town. The compensation stems from the loss of potentially valuable lands to Barrie, and a reduction in anticipated population growth, which was outlined in the province's strategy. Essentially, Innisfil's population will grow, just at a lesser rate than in Simcoe County's proposed Official Plan, and town council feels the municipality should be compensated accordingly.

So, Innisfil's politicians have suspended Fair Growth until a decision is made by the province. And if that decision is unfavourable, the campaign's second phase will be launched.

But until then, the town will have several months to account for costs. There must be some idea of where this campaign is going, including an estimate of its final anticipated expenses, if a second phase is already in development. Mayor Brian Jackson has even suggested the campaign would go over its $150,000 budget, if Fair Growth plays out as planned.

Supporters of Fair Growth suggest the campaign has worked, and adequately protected the municipality's best interests. They argue the proposed land annexation would have been larger, with more severe impacts on Innisfil, if the campaign had failed to launch. Perhaps that's true, but reality suggests residents will never truly know if Fair Growth had a favourable impact on the province, and its plans for the area.

The campaign certainly shed light on one of the most important issues facing the municipality in years. Thousands of people signed a petition on the issue, flooded local media outlets with letters, or publicly voiced their opinions at demonstrations and through telephone calls to Barrie politicians. It was well organized and efficient, and showed just how much Innisfil residents care about their community.

But council needs to make this process more accountable to taxpayers. When they essentially approved the start of the campaign last month, councillors granted staff the ability and resources to do whatever was necessary to fight the annexation, without public consultation.

While councillors and staff are undoubtedly doing what they believe is in the best interest of the municipality, handing a government unlimited funds for a propaganda campaign sets a dangerous precedent. But the town has been handed a gift; it has months to consult with residents on the best next steps for the municipality, before the province makes a final decision.

And with such a tough economic climate, residents need to be asking whether an indefinite media campaign is the wisest and most cost effective allocation of municipal funding. Perhaps council would find other, less expensive and more effective ways of keeping the border issue alive, if the plans became more transparent.

Only once the books open and the long-term Fair Growth plan is revealed can residents truly understand whether the weapons used to fight this battle are worth the cost of the war.