Dear editor,
When I read about the deliberations from Town council regarding the 4th Ave. wall and sign project, I was intereste. When I heard about the cost, I was shocked. When I heard the various quotes from Town council members, I was disappointed. Prior to the 2021 municipal election, this Town council felt passed a 0 per cent property tax budget despite Town Administration saying that town services were unsustainable at current levels with such a budget. Immediately after the 2021 municipal election, this council passed a budget with a 10 per cent tax increase to residents. This budget also included Town council giving themselves a raise. Don’t forget that this was during COVID-19, when many people had lost their jobs and many businesses were still struggling to survive. This council no longer appears to have an ability to think independently but now seem to follow a carefully choreographed script. Now this council is ‘excited’ about spending an addition $1.7 million for what is essentially a public art project at a time when cost of living and inflation for food and gas continue to eat away at taxpayers’ ability to pay basic living expenses. I could focus on reminding the Cochrane taxpayers of similar ‘art’ projects like the ‘blue ring’ in Calgary. Or, how this council appears to have a ‘tax and spend’ mentality. Or that this project could be revisited at a more appropriate time in the future.
But instead I want to make a suggestion: We already have an iconic symbol for Cochrane – the Men of Vision statue at the Cochrane Ranchehouse. If you feel you must do something; make further efforts to highlight this statue so it will have greater traffic when the highway expansion is complete for little to no cost. There seems to be a continued disconnect between this council and the Cochrane taxpayer. I am neither “excited” about, nor “proud” of this project. I don't think it “knocks it out of the park,” as at least one Town council member was quoted as saying.
Dan Cunin
Gleneagles
