4 days ago
Deachman: Roads? Transit? Downtown? Parks? Where's an auditor to focus?
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If these are the areas not recently covered by our municipal auditors, I'd say the OAG could use a staffing bump. Perhaps it should be allowed to keep a portion of any savings it finds and use those to expand its office.
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No shortage of views
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Admittedly, barring a few whistleblowers among us, you and I are not experts on where our taxes are being misspent. I mean, that's why we have the OAG, right? But judging by the very unscientific poll I conducted near the corner of Innes and Bearbrook roads in Blackburn Hamlet, residents (minus one golfer) have no shortage of thoughts about where they feel they're not getting value for their money. Roads/sidewalks and OC Transpo, with its recent 'New Ways to Wait' system, top the list.
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'For kids and older people in the hamlet, the sidewalks are bad,' said Dianne Aylen. 'There are pieces of asphalt missing that they put cones on, but that doesn't solve anything for people in wheelchairs or with walkers. The sidewalks are getting worse and worse, and it's hard on them.'
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A resident named Linda remarked that she's never seen Ottawa's roads in worse shape, a sentiment difficult to fault. 'It's almost useless to fix them because of all the wear and tear from construction every year. You can lose your car in a pothole if you're not careful.'
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OC Transpo was Shelley Cossar's main bugaboo, with service cuts lengthening trips. 'The service is just unreliable,' she said. A developmental service worker, Cossar also criticized the state of the city's sidewalks, especially for those with accessibility issues.
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Another resident said that the bus ride from Innes and Bearbrook to Blair Station, formerly a seven- or eight-minute hop, now takes 20 minutes longer.
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While transit and roads were the low-hanging fruit for complainants, they weren't the only issues on people's minds.
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Melissa Goyette, for example, said the city needs to do a better job providing social programs for youths, particularly those in need of mental health, addictions and housing supports. Mike Dube says there needs to be less red tape slowing homebuilders from getting shovels in the ground. Alan Spencer said something has to be done about a) open drug use downtown; and b) the size of the city's workforce. 'It's too bloated,' he said. Another simply said 'downtown.' When further asked for specifics, he replied, 'Everything about it.'
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No one I spoke with mentioned library hours, lifeguard shortages or the ByWard Market rejuvenation as areas that might come under the OAG's microscope, so I'll add them here (and online).
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Whether this will lead to positive changes is anyone's guess. The OAG first approached residents for input in 2023, with only about 200 people responding. The public's top three concerns then were Stage 2 of the LRT, homelessness and OC Transpo route scheduling.
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