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COMMENTARY: What two terms of muddling through have cost Charlottetown

I’m mad. Can you tell? I mean mad the way Islanders say it when they mean angry. And there’s good reason for it.

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If you know me at all, you know I can get worked up about what goes on at Charlottetown City Hall. Facebook makes it easy to have a rant, and I’ve certainly had my share. Sometimes I probably say things more forcefully than I should. But underneath that frustration is something I care deeply about: the future of Charlottetown.

This is the historic capital of Prince Edward Island and the birthplace of Confederation. We have beautiful neighbourhoods, remarkable architecture, a thriving arts community and a downtown that should be the envy of cities across Atlantic Canada. Charlottetown has enormous potential, but we’re nowhere close to realizing it. Not even close.

For two terms of successive councils, we’ve watched city hall muddle through one decision after another. My concern isn’t simply about the money spent or the opportunities missed. It’s what years of questionable priorities, administrative confusion and poor accountability have done to people’s confidence in their municipal government.

Consider how city hall spends our money. The city purchased Boulder Park beside Province House for millions of dollars, despite significant restrictions on how the property can be used. It committed substantial public funds to relocating and renovating Heartz Hall in East Royalty. And then there’s the multimillion-dollar redevelopment of the old........

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