LETHBRIDGE PUBLIC FINANCES: A Culture of Accountability at City Hall (Part 1)

Are the municipal taxes we pay on our property and our electricity bills too high? Do our elected representatives at City Hall exercise due diligence over expenditure and investments? Some citizens are critical of the way in which City Hall manages our money and accusations of gouging have even been made. Yet despite the criticism of management, and that Council is a poor communicator, our three-term Mayor, Bob Tarleck, maintains that a culture of accountability prevails at City Hall. Mayor Tarleck is of the view that the City of Lethbridge has a financial system which is among the best in Canada in terms of accountability, openness, content and long-term sustainability. What are the facts on local taxes and the process of overseeing expenditure? And is it certain that we only stand to lose a little on the investments that City Hall has made? Speaker: Mayor Bob Tarleck Since settling in Lethbridge in 1966, Bob Tarleck has been immersed in the community. He was first elected Mayor in 2001 and is now in his third term of office. He is the 27th mayor of the City of Lethbridge. Mayor Tarleck served as Alderman on Lethbridge City Council for 18 years, from 1974 to 1992, and was the driving force behind the creation of the Lethbridge and District Community Futures Program and the Business Development Centre. For three years in the late 1990s, he was an elected trustee of the Lethbridge Regional Hospital Board. Bob Tarleck has been an active volunteer – in many cases Chair or Board Member – with numerous community organizations. He is a long-time educator and a strong advocate of improving Alberta’s public schools. He is the recipient of the Alberta Human Rights award for work with the Aboriginal Community, the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for work in education and the Melvin Jones Fellowship Honor by the Lions Club International Foundation.