One would think that an effort by a mayor within a democratic community to put an important issue to a vote by his citizenry would be looked upon as a desirable idea. In Calgary, that is being put to a bit of a test. There, due to an inadvertent error, some $52 million was paid by the city recently to the provincial government by mistake. It is being returned. Mayor
Naheed Nenshi believes that what should be done to it should be decided by a citizen referendum. Some 5 ideas are being suggested. Two of them involve returning the money to the taxpayers, by reducing a subsequent tax load. Three other possibilities reflect ideas about improvements not previously felt within the city's means.
But, some opponents of the mayor object to this gesture to citizen involvement in decision-making. This even includes the provincial premier. It is odd, isn't it, that anyone could object to such a gesture, in a supposed democratic-loving community. We will see just what happens, as this issue moves along.
It is not exactly a citizen-initiated referendum, favoured by your scribe, but it is a movement in the right direction he feels. So felt the National Post reporter - Matt Gurney in his column on June 6.
