Re: CF purchase of schools

David Daski | Jan 13, 2016

Re: CF purchase of schools

I have been trying to give this new council the benefit of the doubt but the optics of the recent school purchases seem horrible (Central Frontenac to Demolish Sharbot Lake Public School, Jan 7/16). What it appears is that the township bought two large buildings it did not have to buy. No proper inspections were done of the buildings prior to purchase. No business case was made as to how this could benefit the township financially or otherwise. Now apparently someone might be interested in the use of one building, but most likely not when it becomes clear the upgrade and maintenance costs. The other building is slated for demolition, leaving five empty building lots that almost certainly would not sell for what the township invested in them.

What scares me even more is Jeff Green's suggestion (In for Penny..., Editorial, Jan 7/16) that as township money was spent on this disaster, more public money should be spent to make it worse, by turning the Sharbot Lake property into another government building. By my count, so far my tax dollars have gone to building a new fire hall, new medical centre, new school, new and enlarged township office, public washroom, railway museum, major trail, farmers' market, major road improvement, all of which benefit those in and around Sharbot Lake, and me almost not at all. Enough already!

I have a better idea. Maybe township staff should sit down with somebody who can give competent advice as to how it can best cut its losses on these useless properties. And the money to build another public building maybe could be used instead to repair what's left of the Arden Road.