When council sits Tuesday in committee-of-the-whole, it better do some thinking about the people who elected them.

There's a plebiscite Sept. 10 on whether to borrow $1.6 million to cover the extra costs from the new twin-pad arena. Sure, council needs ratepayer approval for borrowing the money, but taxpayers haven't been given enough information to make an informed decision.

Without knowing the details, it's kind of like asking someone to vote for a candidate without knowing where they stand on an issue.

Council knows, or at least has a good idea, where the first $2 million of extra costs came from. It directed its audit committee in mid-July to prepare a report on why the project was already more than 15 per cent over the original budget of $11.3 million.

The committee's mandate was to look at such factors as the start time for construction and how it affected costs, reasons for design changes, the process of selecting the construction manager, and how and why actual costs varied from the budget. That's all fine and dandy, and we look forward to the gory details when the report is finally released in October.

But that's too late for the Sept. 10 plebiscite. Voters need to be armed with that information before going to the polls and council has yet to prepare them.

Users affected

The whole arena quagmire started when council decided last year to design the building while construction was ongoing, rather than having a firm contract in place to cover the entire project from the outset. At the very least, following the normal tender and contract process would have kept the price firm.

Not only that, it likely would have led to the arena being open on time. As it stands, it won't be open until at least Oct. 7, which means user groups are being forced at this late date to re-arrange schedules, or even delay the start of some their seasons. Since they don't have a firm date on which the arena will finally open, it makes things even more confusing for them.

Administration has found some savings within this year's budgets, but the city still has to figure out where it will get $1.6 million to pay for the rest of the over-budget amount.

The city can't operate at a deficit, so borrowing or budget cuts are the only answers. Council decided to turn to the voting public to see if there is support for borrowing the money.

Council has to treat taxpayers with respect and fully explain why costs have skyrocketed. And it has to do so quickly.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

Full marks must be given to Rankin Inlet hamlet council for its decision to hold off on surplus spending and look into the possibility of hiring a project officer.

In these tight fiscal times, competition for any project holding the promise of jobs is intense.

Hamlet senior administrator Ron Roach is bang on when he says being able to financially contribute to a project aids greatly in securing it for a community.

So too, does being properly prepared when it comes time to make your pitch to any level of government.

Final costs, labour analysis, material acquisition, time frames and planning modules are all key components to a successful pitch by any municipality.

However, as positive a step as council's decision is, there's still a joker in the deck that might work against it.

And that's the Nunavut government's habit of striking a standing committee on any given project.

You just know there will be such travelling road shows formed to visit almost every community in the territory to seek its opinion on both the proposed Nunavut Inuit Heritage Centre and any correctional facility that may be constructed.

Then there's the additional time to digest the volumes of information gathered. This is further convoluted by the fact every suggestion, no matter how outlandish, seems to warrant discussion.

We can't help but wonder how many ministers remember the proposal put to them in the Siniktarvik Hotel a few years back to build a giant warehouse to hold each and every carving produced by Nunavut artists that the government should be buying.

If memory serves us, that particular gem was discussed for almost an hour. Even more disconcerting is that this mining of public opinion is undertaken by a government comprised of a number of ministers who issue gag orders to their underlings when it comes to fielding questions from the media. The chances of Rankin Inlet actually landing any of these projects will get better if council ultimately decides to hold off on surplus spending and hire a project officer.

However, the hamlet does not have a good track record when it comes to public opinion.

A number of the most vocal, and influential, individuals who rallied public opinion against Rankin being selected as Nunavut's capital now live in capital cities elsewhere.

Who has the keys to the warehouse?

Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum

Stellar sweeper Kudos to town council for ponying up the dough to get the new street sweeper.

That piece of gear will go a long way towards improving tourism here and the health of the people too.

The machine will save the town the expense and delays they were having by contracting the service out, and it will also get a cleaner street with this machine.

As well, with gravel becoming a premium product here, the purchase couldn't have come at a better time.

Is the caller there?

I never know who's going to be on the other end of the line when I pick up the phone in the Drum office.

Often it's the regular calls for advertising and other newspaper business, but sometimes I get into some pretty lively discussions here.

I fielded a couple of angry calls over my last week's rant over the college contract and the campground issue.

While most would dread taking these calls, I actually enjoy getting them.

I need to hear other opinions as it helps me understand these issues better.

This is your paper and I can't formulate an educated opinion without input from you.

If people don't comment or call back, I have no way of knowing their side of the story, and I can't print rumours.

As a new guy in the community I can't sit here and type out the right answer to every issue that faces this part of the world, but I wouldn't be doing my job if I sugar-coated every editorial either.

The purpose of an editorial comment is not necessarily to be right, it's written to inspire debate on issues that need to be debated.

I've got a pretty thick skin and big enough shoulders to take the criticism, but it's also in the reader's best interest that I dish it out as well.

Keep those nasty calls and letters coming, but I'd appreciate some good ones now and then too!

C'mon summer!

Sure felt good to get out and suck up some of that warm Delta sun during the slo-pitch tourney held last weekend.

I don't think I'm alone in thinking we were kind of cheated out of a summer this year.

We did get some hot weather during the arts festival, but that was almost too warm to appreciate.

This is a bittersweet time of year; the kids returning to school and people ending their summer vacations.

And we all know what's just around the corner, but this time of year has got to be the best.

After the cool snap, most of the bugs have disappeared, the leaves are turning and the temperature has been perfect to get out for some fishing.

Let's all cross our fingers and toes for a nice, long Indian Summer!

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum

It's been a tumultuous few weeks for a couple of chiefs in Deh Cho.

Pehdzeh Ki Chief Percy Hardisty, less than a year into his term, was unceremoniously removed from office on Aug. 12 while he was in Edmonton on medical leave. Acho Dene Koe Chief Floyd Bertrand, only elected three months ago, has apparently been the subject of a much-rumoured petition calling for him to step down.

Interestingly, both of these chiefs had a solid majority of the vote in their electoral victories.

Neither of the aforementioned circumstances are ground-breaking precedents. Between being ousted and resigning, it's been quite some time since a Wrigley chief has completed a full term. In Liard, petitions have become commonplace. Bertrand's two most recent predecessors, Judy Kotchea and Harry Deneron, were, by way of petition, also called upon to renounce their seats.

Somehow this conflict must all get sorted out. As with the Liberal party on a national level, when infighting and squabbling come to the fore, there are many other important issues that consequently do not get addressed. It's counter-productive.

Should evidence of corruption or illegal activities ever surface among chief and council, of course action should be taken immediately. Otherwise band members should think long and hard before they attempt to disrupt the affairs of their own local government.

The Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation in Kakisa offers a shining example. There, Lloyd Chicot has served as chief for over a decade and was given another mandate by the elders in May. Granted, it's a tight-knit community of fewer than 50 people, but band member Margaret Leishman -- whose father, Phillip Simba, was a long-time chief in Fort Providence and Kakisa -- had the following pearl of wisdom to offer on the issue of leadership:

"If you continue changing leaders nothing will get done."

Keeping chiefs and band councillors accountable is one thing, but needlessly creating instability is something else.

Building knowledge

For the cynical, last week's gathering in the Deh Cho First Nations' boardroom was yet just another oil and gas workshop. It has been suggested more than once that workshops have become an industry in themselves in the North.

On the other hand, since the political provisions to open the door to development aren't yet agreeable to the Deh Cho First Nations, why not spend the interim educating people about the oil and gas industry? Informed decisions emanate from workshops such as the one held last week.