Simpson says Rosetown council needs more openness

By Ian MacKay

“I would hope to bring some representation from the people and less secrecy,” Bill Simpson said about what he would like to achieve as a council member.

Simpson is one of two candidates in the municipal byelection in Rosetown on Wednesday. Residents of the town for at least the last three months and who are at least 18 years old may vote from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the town office.

“You can’t even talk to council members,” he said. “If you want to talk to a councillor, they won’t give you a phone number. They won’t let you speak at a meeting unless you table something, and it’s only allowed to be tabled if the administrator thinks it should be.

“There’s lots of people that have come to me and wish to be represented at the table,” Simpson said.

The names and contact information for councillors with the Rural Municipality of St. Andrews are posted on its office door, he said.

“There’s no reason we can’t contact the people we elected and ask them questions about where our money goes,” he said. “That doesn’t happen in Rosetown.”

He said he would bring business and management experience to council.

“I’ve run a business installing underground sewers, painting. I’ve worked in the lumber industry and I’ve ran up to 25 men at a time,” he said.

“I don’t see that we have very good representation for our tax dollar, and a lot of people feel the same way,” he said.

“I might be wrong on a lot of things that I’m thinking, but you don’t get a chance to ask anybody,” Simpson said.