Sir: Re: Your Sept. 1 article, “The selection of Paul Watson…”
I am delighted with the choice of Paul Watson as the new Integrity Commissioner for Chatham-Kent. I have known him for some time and know he will dedicate himself to an excellent job.
However, I am extremely disappointed in his assigned purview. It is not council that needs oversight; it is the unelected, unregulated, unrepentant, undisciplined and uncontrollable administration.
For starters, Mr. Watson might examine the practice of administration bringing incomplete, inaccurate, and incomprehensible to the point of appearing misleading reports and proposals to council. For example, at the June 26 council meeting regarding EMS services, the municipal CFO admitted, under questioning by one councilor, that three dollar figures in the proposal presented were incorrect. This was preceded at a prior council meeting with a 56-page report which we now know to contain inaccuracies and suppositions, yet council was expected to vote on a “proposal C” which put at jeopardy the health care of residents of Chatham-Kent and the employment of all current paramedics.
Administration’s current position on these two reports is that data was only “preliminary.” I guess, therefore one should not necessarily expect it to be accurate.
When Mr. Watson has assessed this environment of either incompetence or deception, he can then turn his attention to other matters involving administration. He might research why two municipal employees enrolled in a conference in Texas, and rather than flying down, opted to use a municipal vehicle (not known for its fuel economy) to drive down. My wife and I have children living in Austin and know that at a relaxed pace can make the 1,500-mile drive in three days. If we push it, we can make the trip in two days, in both cases with a single driver. On our most recent trip we enjoyed a first class air ride out of Detroit of less than 4 hours one way for about $480 U.S. each, round trip.
By contrast, our two civil servants took two weeks for the round trip. Of course they may have taken it slower for the benefit of their spouses who accompanied them.
Mr. Watson could explore whether or not a municipal credit card was used for gasoline and/or other travel expenses such as hotel rooms and meals.
I don’t believe it is the will of taxpayers to subsidize municipal employee vacations through boondoggles masquerading as work.
Members of council must come to the people every four years to answer for their conduct by way of an election. Our administration can mislead council and the public forever and not answer to a soul. Mr. Watson’s new role is aimed at the wrong group of people!
David Goldsmith
Chatham
