Deputy Mayor Gibb was given council’s direction, made no objection, said ‘we will do our best’ but then didn’t second Mayor Prue’s motion at a county council meeting.

The December 5, 2022 motion, by Councillor Pouget, carried was: to request that our mayor and deputy mayor address county council at their next meeting regarding County Council’s proposed 2023 budget with a 4.76% tax increase. Pouget explained, this is more than double the 2022’s increase of 2.1% and includes the use of 31 million from reserve funds to offset the increase. 

Mayor Prue said, we don’t need to be instructed but I don’t have any problem with being instructed by council.

Deputy Mayor Gibb said he agreed with the mayor, and said ‘we will do our best.’ (emphasis added). He also mentioned, the one thing I’m going to suggest is the county has quite a bit of reserve funds so perhaps we can release more reserves funds that might be a higher and better use to use them in a time of hyperinflation.

Listen to the December 5 motion and discussion: audio:

February 27, 2023 follow up: Pouget asked Gibb, why didn’t you second our mayor’s motion? That’s what you were directed to do.

Gibb said in his opinion, that’s not the way to lower taxes is to let your roads get worse because it’s just going to cost you more in the future. So, at the end of the day, they brought down the tax rate by using reserves that they had prudently put aside to do just that. I don’t see why you would spend less money on roads today, so that you have to spend double or triple in three or four years down the road that makes no fiscal sense to me. So on that specific issue, that’s why I didn’t support the mayor’s motion. (emphasis added).

Was Gibb clear about whose motion it was? Pouget said, it wasn’t the mayor’s motion, it was our motion, but Gibb answered, Your motion is fine, but ..

Listen to the February 27 motion and discussion: audio