Editor: One of the letters recently published in local media regarding council’s decision to proceed with purchase of the Sears building to replace the Civic Centre stated that the new facility would reintroduce the “wow” factor to downtown Chatham.
I happen to agree. I can visualize a visitor to the new location saying, “Wow. What group of boneheads made this decision?”
I have four questions regarding the council decision which have not been addressed in anything that I have been able to read on the subject.
How many (if any) councilors received donations to their election campaign funding from any of the members of the consortium selling the property to the municipality, or from associates or family of those consortium members?
If any councilors received such donations, how many declared a conflict of interest and refrained from voting when the question was called to decide on the municipality’s course of action?
What will become of the fire hall when the Civic Centre is sold and potentially repurposed?
Does this mean that there will be another facility that will miraculously surface just when the municipality needs a new fire hall, for which the taxpayers will be on the hook for millions of dollars to repurpose?
David Goldsmith
Chatham
