Mountain View County to bring in outside consultant
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Mountain View County plans to bring in an outside consultant to review its operations after Municipal Affairs Minister Hector Goudreau rejected calls from disgruntled ratepayers to launch his own probe.
Rural Roots Association members believed the 2,200 signatures they collected met the standard needed to force a provincial government inquiry into the municipality. But the minister said the petition was insufficient.
Goudreau suggested the municipality hire a third party to undertake a review instead.
Reeve Al Kemmere said council agreed with that approach and terms of reference are being drawn up to outline the scope of the review, which he would like to see completed by June.
The cost of the review has not been determined.
A consultant will be given the task of reviewing council, administration, planning and operational services to determine whether they had been conducting business appropriately and within the rules of the Municipal Government Act.
Rural Roots members have claimed the municipality has not been following proper procedures on a number of fronts, especially as it relates to proposed land-use bylaw changes and an offsite levy bylaw, meant to pass on to developers the costs of supplying services to new developments.
Council expects the review will involve interviewing staff, council and the public, including Rural Roots Association members. There will also be a random phone survey of county residents.
When the report is complete, it will be released to council and the public at the same time to eliminate any apprehension that results were somehow “rigged,” he said.
pcowley@reddeeradvocate.com
