Mayor-elect checks in

News — 02 November 2010

It’s taken a few days to sink in, but Dryden’s mayor-elect Craig Nuttall says he’s thankful for the support that allowed him to win the city’s top political post in last week’s municipal election.

Nuttall says he spent some time at city hall last week and was welcomed graciously by staff.

Over the next while he says he hopes to meet with the elected and re-elected members of council to discuss their various preferences for committee appointments.

Nuttall says the new crew are bound to find themselves in the frying pan not long after being sworn into service as the 2011 budget process unfolds in the new year.

Nuttall says getting the city’s debt under control is a primary concern to him.

“Once we’re sworn in I think we have to look at where we’re spending our money because we have a budget coming up,” he said. “We have to see where we can cut costs to try to save the people of Dryden a tax increase. I feel that every department should be re-evaluated. Let’s look at them and see if there are places where we can make cuts, not to services, but find ways to save money.”

Campaiging hard on the controversial issue of water meters, Nuttall says he’ll work to keep cost recovery measures off the backs of businesses and homeowners when council examines how to recoup the funds involved in installing the meters.

“You can’t stop it, they’ve already processed everything,” said Nuttall. “My feeling is that trying to pass the cost onto the citizens — I’ll fight that tooth and nail. There’s no bloody way we should be paying for these meters. Red Lake didn’t, Sioux Lookout didn’t pay for them.”

As far as forging a relationship with the city administration goes, Nuttall says the adjustment has been smooth thus far in the early stages.

“We had a meeting yesterday and I must say that the cooperation has been fantastic,” he said. “All of us are going to have to work together to get things organized and get our costs down.”

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To the editor:

Budget trimmed in draft

City not alone in solving deer problem

End to gun registry in sight

Mayor angles to keep unused overpass funds in

About Author

chrismarchand

Chris Marchand is a native of Dryden, Ontario. He served his first newspaper internship at The Dryden Observer in 1998 while attending journalism studies at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops B.C. He's worked desks as both reporter and editor at the Fernie Free Press as well as filled the role of sports editor at the Cranbrook Daily Townsman. Marchand was named editor of the Dryden Observer in Aug. 2009.