PERTH - Kudos are in order for one town
councillor who stood up against an inexcusable expense endorsed by the rest of Perth council.
Coun. Ed McPherson was the lone
voice of reason amongst a chorus of voices chiming in reasons why the town
should spend almost $1,000 a year to remove snow from a private driveway – a
rate far above the amount of cash one could pay someone to shovel their
driveway after a heavy snowfall.
True, the couple who live on Lola Lane, Peter
and Lola Kotsovolos, have enjoyed the town’s services for decades. But when
eagle-eyed town staffers realized the town had been plowing the street in error
– it is actually a private road – the service was discontinued.
This didn’t sit well with the
Kotsovoloses – and for good reason. It must be frustrating losing a service you
feel you have paid for through your tax dollars over many years – a service you
have grown accustomed to enjoying. The town is at fault for servicing that road
in the first place, and now the Kotsovoloses must deal with the consequences.
Still, the town must be
responsible to all taxpayers, and taking residents tax dollars only to turn
around and use them to plow a private driveway is simply irresponsible.
That is the viewpoint McPherson
took – but surprisingly, he was the only one. He expressed concern about
setting a precedent of providing snow removal for private roads, and as chair
of the finance committee, he was worried about spending tax dollars on private
property the town has no obligation to provide service to.
The mayor took another stance.
Championing the idea of “grandfathering” snow-plow service in with a legal
agreement between the town and the Kotsovoloses, Mayor John Fenik said the
couple deserves the service because they are longtime residents and business
people in Perth.
We wonder, how long must
someone live in town and how important must their business be before they
qualify to receive town services on their property in this type of situation?
Other councillors sided with
the mayor, citing a fire hydrant located partway up the driveway that town
staff must keep clear. It’s easier for the plow to continue up the driveway
before turning around, they said, implying the plowing service is a matter of
public safety. Yet, a draft of a legal agreement the town is drawing up
indicates the service will be discontinued when the Kotsovoloses no longer live
there. Will that hinder future snow-plow crews who must dig out the hydrant?
Town council often expresses
concern over “setting a precedent” for such matters as forgiving interest on
the local hockey team’s ice rental debt, yet other precedent-setting decisions
do not seem to elicit similar fears. At least one member of council can be
commended for ensuring taxpayers get a fair shake in this matter.
Tell us what you think. E-mail letters to editor@perthcourier.com.