After a heated debate during a recent council meeting, the mayor of Sundre announced he is donating $100 for a contest he advertised through the Town of Sundre before receiving council's approval.
Mayor Terry Leslie asked residents to fill out a “council report card”, and told them that in return, a name would be drawn to receive a $100 credit on their town utility bill.
Questions on the survey included “please tell us one thing that you like about what we have done in the past year”, as well as “please tell us one thing we need to fix, or attend to, in the next year.”
He promoted the contest to residents who attended the Sundre Petroleum Operators Group Neighbour's Day event on Sept. 12.
During the council meeting on Sept. 15, a motion was requested of council to approve up to five $100 utility bill credits for the winners of the contest throughout 2014.
The funds would be spent from the town's gas revenue account and the credit would be deducted from the winner or winners' town utility bill following the survey.
However, some councillors felt the money should be spent elsewhere.
Councillors Chris Vardas, Myron Thompson and Paul Isaac said they were opposed to the contest. Councillors Tony Jordan and Verna McFadden were absent from the meeting.
Vardas expressed concerns that only five people would be rewarded through the contest, whereas $500 could be spent on a community event, such as a barbecue.
But Leslie said he was trying to do something different and engage more people in council's discussions and decisions.
Isaac said he didn't like the idea of putting money up front for a report card. He expressed concerns that Leslie had already delivered the message to members of the public without council's vote.
“I'm a little disturbed by that,” Isaac said during the meeting. “If we don't pass this tonight, what does that make us look like?”
Coun. Jodi Orr amended the motion to provide only one $100 utility bill credit, rather than five. Only Orr and Leslie voted in favour, so the motion was defeated.
Council then voted on the original motion to provide up to five $100 utility bill credits, which was also defeated.
Leslie announced that he would provide the $100 out of his own pocket for the contest, as it had already been advertised. Isaac and Thompson said they disagree with his decision, but that it was his choice as an individual.
