Over the last few weeks I have ran out of words to describe how disappointed I am in the current RM council. You were elected or acclaimed in the belief that you would do a good job in representing the interests and priorities of the rural residents while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

No one expected you to blindside the rural farmers and businesses and potentially bankrupt our great municipality so that a select few could benefit from a multiplex built within the city on the fair grounds.

Past councils earned great respect from ratepayers by focusing on priorities that were needed in the RM , not on grand schemes of limited value to RM residents. Past councils have said NO to requests for capital funding for recreation facilities that are actually located within the RM and used primarily by RM residents. So when the city made such a fuss over the multiplex in the past election there was no thought by ratepayers that the RM would get dragged into this grand scheme.

Not one of you gentlemen mentioned the multiplex in the past election. I presume it would be because the ratepayers would have gave you the same answer as they did in 1975, a resounding NO !

Any respect for this RM council is sadly diminished in a year when people cannot even get to work when it rains, and now they are expected to pay for this fiasco.

But I would like to offer the RM council 2 ways to earn back some respect and atone for their support of this project.

From my basic calculations and best guesstimates I am expecting this multiplex to cost my family farm at least 40,000$ over the next 15 years. I would like to be more accurate but I am told that I have to wait upto 30 days for my information request of June 30th to be processed. I guess you have to wait to see how over budget the tenders are before my questions can be answered accurately.

Since this is my forced commitment to this project, I would like to know how committed you individual councillors are to the multiplex.

How many of you who supported this project by voting in favor of the tender resolution 2 weeks ago are willing to write a check and donate at least 40,000$ today ? Could I have a show of hands ?

If you don’t have 40,000$ extra to donate, well join the club because neither do I.

If you are not willing to put your own money into this project then I offer you a different way to earn back the respect of the ratepayers.

Since the reeve and councillors never asked for any input from RM residents on their willingness or ability to be a part of this project, and have steadfastly refused to hold a referendum on this multiplex, I ask for your immediate resignation.

A byelection is a small price to pay to see if the ratepayers are as proud of this project as the reeve and councilors are and if re-elected you will receive your mandate and the debate will be over.

If you don’t get re-elected then the new RM council can decide what to do and if they choose they can remove the RM from this project before a shovel is in the ground and one more dollar is wasted.

It is widely expected that the next scheduled election will bring a new reeve and councilors as the electorate is openly disgusted with the way this matter has been handled and the lack of information that was freely provided to the rate payers. Even the information sheet with the recent tax notices never mentioned the word multiplex in it.

If we must wait until the next scheduled election to replace you, it will be too late to stop this project and we will have these costs dragging down our RM for generations.

So either get  your checkbooks out or put your jobs on the line.

The ratepayers of the RM of Portage expect better than we have received from this council.

Thank You