Lynne Reynolds

To the editor of the Sudbury Star

I read Councilor Lynne Reynolds letter of the day with great interest. It struck a chord with me and I found her giving voice to suspicions I have harboured for some time about the state of governance at City Hall.

I believe, based on past observations, that the civil service bureaucrats in all levels of government have their own agendas which often are at odds with the elected officials who are supposed to guide and direct their activities. The elected representatives can only be effective if they are in possession of all the facts before rendering a decision. Withholding or distorting those facts is an old civil service trick to subvert the principles of elected oversight.
I also read Mayor Courtemanche's long and impassioned condemnation of Councilor Reynolds' letter. I believe, however, the councilor's first responsibility is to the constituents who elected them and not to present a united front to the public if they feel it isn't warranted or to rubber stamp the recommendations of staff even if the Mayor urges them to do so.
I admire Councilor Reynolds for having the courage to speak out and I believe that there is substance to the points she has raised. We need people who will tell it like it is at the helm and not those who preach political expediency at the expense of elected, efficient and effective government.

Should Lynne Reynolds choose to run for Mayor in the next municipal election, she would have my vote. Mayor Courtemanche, in any case, will not.