By battlefordsNOW

Column – City council moving in the right direction

Jun 23, 2017 | 5:30 PM

A big part of being a journalist is holding various government agencies to account. I have viewed my role over the years as a reporter, editor and news director as mainly a servant of the people who matter the most — you, the reader.

As a journalist, it has been my job to be a channel through which information flows and it is incumbent of me to be an interpreter of events, policies and decisions made by those who govern our daily lives. This recognition, paired with the desire to influence, does result in my role as being a “watchdog” for the ordinary man or woman.

Often, I have been ready to champion a cause of the underdog and expose corruption and abuses of office. This is a vital role in any democratic process. And because of that role, I have spent many years being critical of decisions, when warranted, by those who have abused their power, either wilfully, or through ignorance.

And over the years, I have learned that it is often municipal politics that have the greatest influence on the day-to-day lives of those I serve, which is, again, you the reader. Municipal decisions can determine the taxes you pay, the roads you drive upon, the safety in your community, the economic health of the area at large and much more.

Given that description of my role as a somewhat “professional critic,” it is refreshing to be able to agree with some recent decisions made by Mayor Ryan Bater, his council colleagues, and city administration on making North Battleford a better place to live.

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Those recent decisions include the consideration to impose an additional tax on vacant buildings in the city — some of which are situated in our downtown core, and have been essentially abandoned and left derelict — which have become a blight upon our city, and the recent enforcement of unkempt and shoddy businesses where grass is overgrown and/or the premises looks like “something from The Walking Dead,” according to Bater.

I couldn’t agree more on both issues. North Battleford is a beautiful city with splendid potential for future growth for many years to come. But with over 25 businesses sitting empty, unkempt and “abandoned,” these buildings and owners of said buildings are stunting the growth of our fine city. It’s also impressive to see a downtown strategy for future years, but without dealing with the elephant in the room of vacant and zombie buildings, that growth may suffer. Why would any potential business entrepreneur want to invest in downtown, when his neighbour allows their building to fall into disrepair? Something needed to be done, and it’s good to see some steps being taken to address this issue.

Many will say “just demolish the buildings,” but our civic leaders are bound by the laws the Municipalities Act, and must follow those rules. And many more will say “crime is an issue.” And they are right. But the hiring of more Community Safety Officers does address that directly and indirectly — by dealing with nuisance, every day calls — thereby freeing up our RCMP to tackle larger issues. Has city council made all the right decisions over the years to improve the lives of its citizens? Probably not. But that is what elections are for, so citizens can decide that for themselves. And we will continue as our role as purveyors of news to help you decide if those decisions have been correct.

The solution to the issues that face our city, and many others, is not always clear cut. But it is refreshing to see steps being taken so our city can grow and realize its full potential.

Colin McGarrigle is the news director for battlefordsNOW.

colin.mcgarrigle@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW