THUNDER BAY -- Tempers flared, a bird was allegedly flipped and apologies were made at a sometimes heated pre-budget consultation meeting Tuesday night at city hall.
The annual public consultation session is usually a reserved evening set aside for requests and comments on the city's proposed budget before council deliberations begin. But councillors bickered about process, debated deputants and were given the finger by a member of the gallery according to Coun. Shelby Ch'ng as nine individuals and organizations came forward Tuesday.
The evening came to a breaking point between Coun. Trevor Giertuga and Coun. Aldo Ruberto after council had continuous concerns over process. Ruberto eventually said he felt that people were cutting him off before he could finish.
"If people want to go home go home if you don't want to stay. We're here to find out what people think and what they want to see," Ruberto said.
"It's not a matter of people wanting to go home it's a matter of people following the rules and you're the one who continually doesn't follow the rules and that's why you're called on it," Giertuga said while Ruberto told him to go home and chair Coun. Frank Pullia called for order.
Ruberto apologized to members of Poverty Free Thunder Bay who were making a deputation on affordability in the city.
Members of the Sandy Beach Campers Association, which learned the city would not be renewing leases for members' 26 camps and homes late last year, wanted to make a deputation arguing the city could save more than $3.8 million over the next decade by letting the campers stay. But before president Bob Hupka and treasurer Elsie Hutsel could begin their 10-minute presentation, they were cut off by chair Coun. Frank Pullia and city clerk John Hannam citing legal concerns.
“That is a totally separate issue,” Pullia said stating that the deputation could only be about the proposed budget.
The pair walked out of the gallery with other members en masse when a man yelled to council that they were only there to try and save the city money rather than spend it. It was then Ch'ng said she also saw a man in the gallery give councillors the finger.
Hutsel later said the association, which began receiving confidential offers from the city Monday, only wanted to make the public aware of how much the city will be spending to get rid of the camps.
"It's disappointing because it just tells us that council doesn't want the general public to know what they're spending," she said.
The Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce applauded city council for its investments in infrastructure, but president Charla Robinson said it shares the same concerns as city council with costs continuing to rise and tax revenue in jeopardy.
"This is a problem we face together," she said.
Robinson called for an external core service review to look into how the city could save money. Though Robinson said that doesn't necessarily mean the city would cut services, but rather the review would start a discussion in the community on what it thinks is essential, some on council began asking Robinson what specifically the chamber would like to cut.
"When we closed Municipal Golf Course this council got roasted by the public,” Mayor Keith Hobbs said.
Robinson said while chamber members might have their own opinions, getting a core service review is a starting point and the purpose of her being there was to suggest the city start the process.
Coun. Joe Virdiramo then asked if that meant the chamber was in favour of cutting jobs if some city services were not deemed essential.
"What are you intending?" he asked.
"We’re not specifically identifying anything in particular,” Robinson said.
"Yes or no, it's a simple answer," Virdiramo said.
He later apologized for his tone and asked councillors to relax and take a breath.
City manager Tim Commisso said the cost of a core review varies, but a multi-year study could be in the neighbourhood of $250,000.
City council begins budget deliberations on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
