During Mayor Mark's Watch 2010 -2011

We think a lot about public service and how our elected representatives serve us. Quite often we wonder who our elected representatives are actually representing while they make decisions in City Hall.

For those of you keeping score at home, we present for your reading pleasure, a list of City Council decisions made so far during Mayor Mark's Watch.

The 2010-11 List

No questions asked by City Council during 2012 budget deliberation. City Council accepts City departments budgets, approving a 3.5% tax increase as a great accomplishment much to the chagrin of taxpayers.

Council overturns Heritage Committee recommendations regarding Jack Astor's signage.

One garbage bag limit because Kingston is Canada’s Most Sustainable City

Police Services Board requests a 3%+ or $ 1,000,000 budget increase. (Oct.14.2011). This budget request released on same day of enormous drug bust in city. In crime protection, timing is everything.

Heritage Committee: Sends Jack Astor restaurant back to drawing board because their choice of brick for redevelopment of abandoned former bank at King and Brock Street is imposing. Heritage Committee also bans Jack Ass garish neon logo saying “Market Square is no place for corporate branding.” Interesting to note that the Springer Group of Companies owns the building in question adjacent to Springer Market Square, a branded concept if there ever was one, in perpetuity.

Council defers purchasing swamp land @ $33,000+ per acre from local developers for $1,000,000+ deal

Kingston Fire Dept training facility needs another $700,000. This project is spinning into another Grand Theatre fiasco. Dorothy Hector claims “It is what it is.”

City to spend $1,200,000 to reduce Causeway travel time by 2.1 minutes

Dorothy Hector, leader of the Hector 8, feels being a councilor warrants being a full time position and feels the number of Councilors should be reduced.

Council lowers admission fees to new outdoor swimming pool in North End so po’ folks can participate

Hector 8 passes motion that Councillors and City Senior bureaucrats are not to travel together in case of fatalities so the City will not be thrown into leaderless chaos. Who has the launch codes?

Neophyte Elected Representative of the People and Hector 8 lieutenant overwhelmed by council workload

K-Rock Centre fails to meet financial goals. Council lowers financial goals and uses Reserve Fund to cover loss

Train whistle ban in Collins Bay revisited

Grand theatre grand piano purchase

City purchases British Whig building

City wants to build indoor playing field

KROCK CTR doesn’t reach financial goals again

Kingston Police will try to trim $100,000 from 2011 budget rather than $250,000 council asked it to cut. Hey Mayor Mark! We'll try to pay 1% tax increase, ok?

KEDCO wants 2% or $2.5M budget for 2011 salary increases. What is it KEDCO does again? Its only $49K, go ahead Mayor Mark. Taxpayers won't mind.

Limestoned:A Kingston state of mind has budget deliberations of our own to debate. Do we pay the Hydro bill next month or flush the toilet?

Limestone City Council set to raise taxes again.Constantly raising taxes & not controlling spending is UNSUSTAINABLE! Just say no,Mayor Mark

Will KEDCO & DBA stage a Market Square match Poet Laureate vs The Town Crier? That ought to draw tourists once the Poker Run is abandoned.

Now that the City has a Poet Laureate, we are all atwitter to read a poem about the City's Accessibility Committee SNAFU aka The Fix Was In.

Whig reports Council divided over breach of decorum. No decorum at City Hall since John A was an alderman drinking gin in the basement.

The fix was in says Councilor Glover when former chair of the city's accessibility committee not reappointed. Posse of Georges rides again!

City Council looking at environmental sanctions for events at City facilities. Unless city facilities have zero footprint its all codswallop

City Council to limit councillors talk time.Maybe Mayor Mark should allow councillors to voice their opinion in 140 charactersTwitter style.

KEDCO Sports Tourism manager let go after enticing some big sport tourism events.No MCup or RBC Cup.This town still believes its Hockeyville

Aquatic Centre is a hot topic again.

City Council says bottled H2O is ok at KRC. Just putting the stain back into sustainability for the sake of a rink that is not sustainable.

Lame Duck City Council rides their sustainability band wagon through KGH food fight as they head toward the setting sun