Editorial from the Portage Daily Graphic December 13 2008

Some are touting it as a victory for democracy, and the others … well, they’re not saying very much at all.

Court of Queen’s Bench Justice John Scurfield ruled on Dec. 9 the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie did not present an adequate plan to go ahead with borrowing its share of the PCU Centre’s funding, which amounts to $8 million. According to Scurfield, the RM’s plan was pure estimation rather than hard numbers, and that is just not good enough.

“The right to estimate does not include the right to guess or speculate,” wrote the judge in his decision.

What this victory means for the ratepayers of the RM is unclear at this time, as nobody from the RM or the City of Portage is commenting, but that is nothing new.

While the multiplex is a great idea and something that will do nothing but good for the community, the developments of the complex have been shrouded in secrecy from the beginning. Trying to get any information as to the developments has been difficult, to say the least. The city and RM councils have done a lot of hard work to make this dream a reality, and kudos to them, but the tight-lipped approach to a project that requires community support and a great amount of community dollars is questionable.

The secondary phase of naming rights proposal submissions wrapped up at the end of October, but the results have yet to be released, and there is no reason given for the delay when the councils have been asked. This is just another example of how information is less than forthcoming.

This court case shows the citizens are concerned with where and how their tax dollars are being spent. There are no hard and fast numbers given, plans have been changing and bylaws and tenders have been passed with lightning-quick speed before the public has had a chance to get involved.

The PCU Centre is supposed to be a community project, so why has the community not been allowed to get involved, except with their chequebooks?

Perhaps Scurfield’s ruling will give the councils pause, will make them take a step back and think about their methods. Is the multiplex a good idea? Yes, there is no question about that. Is this something the community wants? Absolutely. But the ratepayers have said the means do not justify the ends, and have proven it before a QB judge.

The generic terms, the estimations, the speculations — they all have to end. Concrete answers are needed. No more closed-door meetings. No more “no comment.” The councils are doing a good thing by building the multiplex, but more information is necessary. It is time to let the people get involved in something that is meant to be for them.

Yes, the councils were elected by the people, but that does not give them carte-blanche to do whatever they want. The voice of the people is strong, and, as the ratepayers have shown, cannot be silenced.