Skakun Supports More Transparency
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Skakun says he is not easily intimidated and he will continue to stand up for what he believes in.
Skakun says he has been able to get more information over the past year and a half than he has in the past. “We get what we get, and I don’t know what we don’t get until someone calls me and asks me about it.” He says he has been told repeatedly that individual councillors have no more rights to information than the average citizen “That is a concern.”
He says information is tough to come by , including notice of some firings “The first I heard of the eleven job cuts at the pools was when I read it on your site (250News) when I was at the UBCM with Mayor and Council.”
He says there is no doubt, there is a culture of fear at City Hall “That, fundamentally, has to change.”
You may recall, Councillor Skakun is the one who took the photos of graders sitting idle when they could have been on the roads. “I took those pictures because we were being told repeatedly that we had all our equipment on the road.”
Skakun was not surprised at the findings in the Mercury Associates report on the fleet and snow removal debacle of last winter. “The report told us what we already knew.” He does question why a consultant out of the States had to be hired, when there are equipment and snow removal experts in the region. “If you want to know what’s going on you have to talk to your employees and value their opinion and that didn’t happen in this case.”
He says if there is no senior government funding for the Performing Arts Centre, he will not support it. The City has already funded about $400 thousand dollars worth of studies on the project, and Skakun agrees, the private sector will have to come up with some funding if this project is ever to move forward.
Comments
Are you actually smiling in that shot Ben? Not surprising I guess, as you are interviewing Prince George’s favourite councillor.
“He says he has been told repeatedly that individual councillors have no more rights to information than the average citizen “That is a concern.””
Honestly? I believe Brian! I am not only concerned about that, but who would say that they have no more rights to information than the average citizen, and repeatedly to boot? What a weird three years we have been witnessing…he is not the only councillor who has expressed frustration about lack of information!
I’ve never been a big fan of Brian’s, but he does expose what a gong show the inner workings of City Hall can be.
12 years on Council, and what have you done, Brian? What can we point to and say, “gee, without Brian, we wouldn’t have that.” Besides the huge tax bill associated with your little escapade.
Gee Brian, I am glad you have been on Council and hope you get elected again , your little escapade was caused by you trying to help people. I am glad you have the guts to speak out.
Skakun and Koehler are probably the only to incumbents I’m voting to re-elect. We need people to challenge the status quo.
Its unforyunate that you dont have more Brians on council. Ang Sine Nomine get the chip off your shoulder.
Cheers
Retired 02
Knowing that spelling is not your strong suit I would guess that you meant more Brains on council.
There is nothing wrong with asking what Skakun has done during his time on council. This includes the fact that as sitting member of council he was found guilty of leaking confidential documents. He dragged this out in court even after admitting that he did it, leaving the city to cover a big lawyer bill while some or all of his was paid for by his union.
No doubt he will be re elected but his grandstanding tactics are wearing thin.
At least Skakun has balls enough to speak out and go against the grain. We don’t need puppets on council, and we’ve had a few this past term.
“gee, without Brian, we wouldn’t have that”
Please give an example of how that could be said about ANYTHING for any of our current councillors?
@interceptor – Without Stolz we wouldn’t have a dike
Without Brian looking into it I highly doubt our city would have checked into using the gas tax money on our roads, they just loved to build pet projects like the community heating system
Sparrow; spelling is not your strong suit, be nice to seniors we are the ones that get out and vote.
“He says if there is no senior government funding for the Performing Arts Centre, he will not support it.”
Duh! Without senior levels of government kicking in 2/3 of the funding the project is DOA and other than lobbying it is something council has no control of.
A more meaningful question would be where he stands on where and how the city would proceed if the province and feds loosened the purse strings. Would he support the city borrowing their portion with the risk of an AAP or would he try to sneak it in through the back door by selling city property like the playhouse.
Skakun voted in favor of the motion to move the PAC to a top priority for the city earlier this year, funny how at election time he walks it back a few steps knowing full well there is not a lot of support in the community to build a PAC till the basic infrastructure is repaired.
There are some major repair projects in the capital plans that have no funding like $3 million to repair the exterior of the four seasons pool in next years plan that will get more expensive the further it is kicked down the road.
Totally off topic here, but what the heck is with that face in the background of every last one of these candidate photos? It’s creeping me out. :)
bitter
02 lives in Abbotsford so will not be voting for anyone here.
axman: “Totally off topic here, but what the heck is with that face in the background of every last one of these candidate photos? It’s creeping me out. :)”
It’s Al Pacino.
At least Brian breaks the law, exactly what we don’t need on council.
Thanks bitter. My spell checker is broken so I’m just winging it. Gees some people are picky.
And your right we voted in every election when we lived in PG. It’s the only voice you have that many don’t understand.
Nice day here in Abby 16c. Wish you were here. You guys have a nice day in PG.
Cheers
Someone clarified it with one word for council members “PUPPETS”
What really bothers me with what Mr. Skakun divulged, was that the information should have been made public in the first place. This fellow, along with Lynn Hall, have my vote.
axman: You get creeped out too easily.
Transparency
a word so over used it is meaningless for the most part…
but people feel comfortable when they hear it…
one of those feel warm and fuzzy words…
to me it means they are hiding what they are doing so the public, no matter how hard people look they won’t see what the politicians are up to.
Transparency. To bad you decide now is the time for it Brian.. There was none when you illegally handed over the information to cbc and denied you did it. What law or laws will you break if you get in again ? You can’t be trusted.
Axman and Jillian – thanks for bringing that picture of the face up. Al Pacino – who’d of thought? Too funny!
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