Reconciling
Making sense of the numbers How does expanding existing waterworks in Picton and Wellington to accommodate one per cent growth cost more than a brand-new intake infrastructure, a new water plant in Wellington, a 20-kilometre pipeline and a distribution system at the Picton end? It is the conclusion presented to Council on August 27. It […]
Shire Hall responds
Editor’s note: In the September 2 issue of the Times, our story ‘Nudgeniks’ highlighted the complexity and possible contradictions between Shire Hall’s June report outlining various studies, Watson’s financial strategy presented on August 27 and a 2014 RV Anderson study that recommended a new intake and water plant in Picton. In pointing to the discrepancies, […]
Safe
Waterworks director’s comments stir confusion Picton’s water is safe. According to Shire Hall, the water supply in Picton is “perfectly safe to drink and use.” Moreover, the water is frequently tested to ensure it is safe. “We continually monitor and verify water quality to ensure it is meeting the required quality standards and limits for […]
Heritage concerns
Council approves Drake Devonshire expansion despite questions about heritage process Council has approved a heritage permit for the proposed expansion of the Drake Devonshire in Wellington, despite concerns from the County’s heritage advisory committee about the process and the scope of the project. The application will allow the demolition of the non-contributing building at 20 […]
Nudgeniks
Editor’s note: In the September 2 issue of the Times, this story highlighted the complexity and possible contradictions between Shire Hall’s June report outlining various studies, Watson’s financial strategy presented on August 27 and a 2014 RV Anderson study that recommended a new intake and water plant in Picton. In pointing to the discrepancies, we […]
No, thank you
Council declines to endorse regional water financial plan In the end, it was too much money. Too much debt. Too much risk. And too many unanswered questions. Then there was the startling admission that previous Shire Hall staff had put their thumb on the scale in the regional water servicing master plan. (See Comment, page […]
Much Ado About Nothing
County Shakespeare Company at Waring House Love is in the air, but so also are skullduggery and knavery, in the County Shakespeare Company’s production of Much Ado About Nothing, currently playing on the Théâtre Roulant stage at the Waring House. Company founder James Fraser, who both directs and acts in this production, says it’s his […]
Plus 2
Higher pay fails to dramatically increase the candidate pool If the goal of raising council compensation was to increase public participation in municipal decision-making, it succeeded— if only marginally. In July, council agreed to raise members’ compensation from a base of $29,645 to $40,422—a 36 per cent hike in pay. “The expectations of this job […]
If only
Shire Hall manages to stuff 10 pounds of pudding into a 5-pound bag Ever since Council revised downward the County’s growth population prospects from the fantastical to merely unprecedented, its consultants have been struggling to figure out how to pay for it. Where once Shire Hall imagined the County population would soon double, mostly through […]
Story in 3 charts
County finance director walks a tightrope The cost of funding the County’s growing mound of debt has risen 30 per cent since 2022. Net debt—that is, financial assets less liabilities—expanded dramatically again in 2025. Meanwhile, the tax levy—the amount extracted from property taxes—continues to march higher every year, rising an average of eight per cent […]