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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014
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Vol. 2 Edition 36
Councilors want info
September’s sizzle
File FOI requests against municipality
By Jim Blake jim@chathamvoice.com
Two Chatham-Kent councilors have filed municipal Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to get financial information they say they need to represent their constituents. South Kent Coun. Frank Vercouteren has filed an FOI request for a line-byline report on the Chatham Police Service budget, something he’s been trying to get for some time. Chatham Coun. Michael Bondy has filed an FOI seeking detailed financial information about John D. Bradley Convention Centre operations. Vercouteren said his FOI is looking for amounts for travel, office expenses and more. “I voted against the police budget last year and I’ve been told police do not have to break down their budget,” he said. “That simply isn’t true and I’m curious to know why as an elected official – or a taxpayer for that matter – I don’t have the right to know where money is being spent. “ The councillor said although the vast majority of the budget consists
of wages, there are still hundreds of thousands of dollars that are essentially in a lump sum category, as well as potential income that isn’t reported to council. Vercouteren said he was reluctant to file the FOI, but isn’t prepared to go before voters without the information he believes they want. “We spend nearly $30 million for police and when I’m asked details I don’t want to tell the people paying the bill they don’t deserve to know.” He said Mayor Randy Hope and councillor Art Stirling who both sit on the Police Services Board have the information and can answer the questions if asked but won’t even share the information in closed session. “I hate to say it but I wonder what it is they don’t want me or the public to know,” he said. “It doesn’t exactly give you a feeling of confidence.” Chatham-Kent Police Services Board chair Pat Belanger said she finds the FOI request strange because council does receive detailed budget information. Continued on page 2
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Bruce Corcoran/The Chatham Voice
How do you beat the heat on a September day? If you’re the Grammond family, you hit Kingston Park’s splash pad. Chase Grammond, 3, attempts to lure family members close to his sprinkler during a recent hot afternoon. And to think parts of Alberta received snow this week.
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