Discussions

I'm frustrated with the 6 figure salaries of a very large chunk of city employees, it's a massive reason our taxes are so disgusting and the wages are mostly unjustified...in my opinion...almost all is due to overtime and that overtime is generated not out of actual work or need but loop holes so hiring more staff wouldn't put a dent in it but...it's given as a REASON to increase staff and then the new staff runs up the same overtime numbers.  
 
I'm frustrated with the school budgets and a lot of the fluff in the budget. The liaisons and assistants and aids and about 100 other places the budgets are padded for the sake of keeping the budget at or slightly above what it was the previous year lest you get trapped at a lower annual budget. The old story of "our budget was $100,000 last year and I came in and cut it by $40,000...then next year came around and they only gave us $60,000!!!..." it's frustrating that it costs as much to run the schools as it does to run the entire city (school taxes are half of property taxes)  
 
I could go on...but tell me who I could have voted for or even if I'd run and won myself how could I have put a dent in those issues?  
 
That's why people don't vote...the elected don't have any real power, and if you're a masochist and want to punish yourself, try watching a video of city council try to talk circles around any issue and then punt it to the real people in charge, the salaried administrative staff that you can't do anything about.

Orion's-Belt said "voting is our day into what happens into our city. If you don’t vote you loose the right to complain what happens in our city. Just my opinion. "

for the first time, I didn't vote. I've come to the conclusion that no matter who's voted in, they do whatever's the expedient way for them - whether it's the school board or the City. I had issues with the city not too long ago & after being given one untrue answer after another I enlisted the help of my Councillor who took it to our Mayor. Useless! I ended up taking it all before a council meeting myself & got resolution. So yes, I still have the right to complain. At some point, those elected will start truly representing the people of Brandon I hope.

Because I thought I was pretty vocal on a lack of options for the electorate to feel like they're part of the decision-making process, I thought it's equally important to note when I see an outreach from the city that has a lot of potential. The survey link below is exactly what I'd love to see more from from the folks at the city..... lots of questions (not all of which are required) and lots of opportunity to provide opinions that will help shape the direct of Brandon's Rec/Community facilities master plan:  
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/brandonrecsurvey

Just got to see the first page.  
 
No doubt people will have tons of ideas for what they want and probably want everything to be cost free.