So many Penhold residents descended on town council that they couldn't all fit into the council chambers during the July 16 meeting.
Most of the crowd came out to hear Ken McCarthy address council. McCarthy is the man behind the sign and town meeting to discuss property taxes in Penhold and who started the petition to have Municipal Affairs review the town.
At least 60 people were in the chamber itself and the lobby was full enough that staff had trouble making it through to give presentations.
McCarthy told council he has 568 signatures on his petition to have Municipal Affairs conduct a review. Council voted during a special meeting on July 9 to call the provincial government in themselves for a review rather than wait for the petition to be submitted.
Local businesses had joined McCarthy's efforts and had raised money for lawn signs, McCarthy said, but they'd decided to scrap that plan.
“We don't want to put a huge black eye on the town,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy has drawn up a list of 50 concerns, he said, and highlighted a few of them for council. Those concerns include the amount of money spent on the multiplex, the plan to pave Waskasoo Avenue before other road repairs are complete, his belief that town council is “completely against business” and calling again for the town administrative officer to resign or be dismissed.
His call for council to find a replacement for Rick Binnendyk, the chief administrative officer, drew applause from the crowd.
McCarthy also said Coun. Danielle Klooster had indicated the sign could be removed under unsightly premises rules. Klooster invited any concerned citizens curious about her comments to contact her personally, while Coun. Heather Klein, who was present at that meeting, said Klooster “did not threaten” McCarthy but observed it detracted from the beauty of his yard.
In a post-meeting interview, Mayor Dennis Cooper said the incident between the two councillors and McCarthy was “a large misunderstanding.” He said council has talked to both Klein and Klooster.
He said council has not discussed the status of Binnendyk's continued employment with the town.
“We haven't had a meeting on that,” Cooper said. Previously Cooper has said Binnendyk is an experienced CAO who has helped bring a lot of grant dollars into Penhold.
The mayor is asking McCarthy to bring in his 50 points so council can respond to them.
“I think we're on the cusp of having a change,” Cooper said with regards to development within the town. Council had heard during the meeting Penhold has smashed its previous building permit value record as of the end of June.
Concerns about taxes are going to be addressed through education and communication, Cooper said, including fledgling plans to have an open process for the creation of the 2013 budget.
He pointed out not a lot of towns have such a process.
“It's not always just making more revenue and more taxes, it's also taking a look at the expenses,” Cooper said of the budget process.
Cooper said council is “fully engaged” with the issues brought forward by McCarthy and others. He said council is trying to address concerns in a positive fashion.
Residential taxes went up 4.75 per cent in Penhold this year. An increased school requisition, which is set by the province and over which the council has no control, accounted for 2.5 per cent of the rise in taxes. There had been no tax increases for the previous two years.
