OPINION: Council will stand up for the people when they have to

Flip flop on 4-way stops is about the people vs. the bureaucrats.

I’m indifferent about adding 4-way stop signs in downtown Sturgeon Falls. I do find the intersections that caused some controversy this week do pose a safety concern but at the same time I know that oftentimes, municipalities erect way too many stop signs.

Regardless, I was very happy to see council vote unanimously against a staff recommendation that they fully supported just four months ago.

Why? Because it was a good example of how to get politicians to take a position on something. You have to make them do it…

In June, when many residents brought the subject of adding 4-way stops on Main street to council, staff objected. They stated that the current statistics don’t support adding these stop signs. I believe councillors were faced with a predicament at that point. In its first two years in power, this council has been allergic to questioning staff. Besides one or two councillors who will sometimes press them, most members at the table have shown 100% support for every decision, tax increase, proposal or bylaw that staff has given them.

This has led me many times to the obvious question: Why have an elected council if bureaucrats ultimately make all the decisions?

Back in June most councillors knew that the public consensus was to add 4-way stops on Main street but I think they preferred to side with staff once again because there was not a perceived political cost of opposing the people. They likely didn’t think anyone was paying attention (based on the fact that only a few dozen people watch their meetings on Youtube)

But when a social media post by the municipality announced that the 4-way stops that so many wanted were not staying due to a council decision, the news went viral.

People started paying attention.

Safety concerns at these intersections didn’t change. The public sentiment didn’t change (people have been wanting these stop signs for years). The data didn’t change.

But almost every councillors support for the idea changed…

When there is an apparent political cost, councillor were now willing to challenge staffs’ recommendation. That’s what it took.

One example is Sturgeon Councillor Kris Rivard who was one of the most vocal opponents of adding these stop signs back in June. Then after the viral post and my ensuing reporting on the subject he sunk lower than most other councillors.

Instead of saying he changed his position. He simply attempted to rewrite the June minutes by spreading misinformation. He falsely told the public that he was surprised that these signs were being taken down and threw his fellow councillors under the bus by saying that he was the only councillor that wanted them (when in fact he was one of the few who vocally opposed them).

Fortunately, Rivard did acknowledge his flip flop at this week’s meeting where he told council that he was indeed against the stops signs back in June and that it was “okay to change his mind”. But he has not deleted his misleading social media post.

Misinformation and flip flops aside, this is a great sign and I commend this council for doing their job. That is to put people’s interest ahead of staff. Their job has been and always will be to represent taxpayers and not staff.

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