$50K allotment to wards debated by Sudbury candidates

The money critics refer to as ‘slush funds’ is being raised at candidate debates across Sudbury.

The city calls the money Healthy Community funds. Each councillor gets $50,000 to spend in their ward.

Ward 11 candidate Vincent Lacroix has a short answer when it comes to the funds.

"It's simple,” Lacrox said. “Scrap it."

Candidate Lynne Reynolds agreed, saying that most city councillors have used their funds well but others have abused them.

"I have found it unconscionable that their fellow councillors did not point this out and allowed it to happen,” Reynolds said.

Ward 11 incumbent Terry Kett pointed out how he led the charge to tighten up the rules on how those dollars are dished out.

"If you do it right, it can be a great thing,” Kett said. “If you don't do it right, you can be in big trouble."

However, challenger Mike Bleskie would like to see a system where citizens get more say on how the $50,000 is spent.

"Because those projects are still important, it's just the amount of influence that councillors have on the process,” Bleskie said.

Candidate Chris Nerpin also wants to see the ward funds revamped but will save specifics until after the election.

"What should it look like? You should help us figure that out,” he said.

Other issues that came up at the debate included taxes and pre-determined budgets.

Mayoral candidate Brian Bigger has polarized opinions in the city with his promise to freeze taxes next year.

At the debate Monday night, Reynolds threw her support behind him.

Reynolds feels it's unfair to hand a pre-made budget over to a council made up of mostly rookies.

"I don't want to see the mistakes of the past council, put on the backs of our residents,” Reynolds said. “Nor do I want to see them ever repeated."

Meanwhile, Kett instead said he would like to see the public more involved in the budget process.

He said the public is currently consulted on how to spend their tax dollars, but maybe they should also be suggesting possible cuts.

“What I'd like to see is a day where you could come in and say 'here's what we need to cut. I feel we don't need this particular service,’” He said. “We should sell the trailer parks, as an example."

Terry Kett has held Ward 11 for the last 4 years.