Something strange is happening at city hall, and we like it!
A new era of openness and common sense, is creeping into the chambers. To be sure, administration still has a long way to go in remembering to put taxpayers first when it writes reports and budgets. But the transformation after a few short weeks with Mayor Naheed Nenshi at the helm is marked.
Take public input on budget deliberations. In the past, the policy has been inconsistent on whether the public gets a voice in the years when council is making adjustments to the three-year budget. On Monday, the deliberations to the 2011 adjustments actually began with submissions from Joe and Jane Citizen, the first time in recent memory that the public had its say before anyone else. Citizens were also encouraged to read the financials online and share their ideas.
Ismailimail 