A Tay resident wants the municipality to withdraw its membership from two external programs as a means to save the township money.
According to a presentation obtained by MidlandToday, Taudie McLeaming recommends withdrawing from both the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and ICLEI Canada’s Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program.
In a submission slated to be heard during Wednesday evening's council meeting, McLeaming urges council to reconsider its involvement in the two entities to safeguard fiscal sustainability.
“Withdrawing from the PCP program will enable Tay Township to realign its financial resources toward immediate local priorities and core services,” McLeaming notes in the submission.
“A locally driven environmental strategy will ensure fiscal responsibility while maintaining the township’s commitment to environmental stewardship.”
As part of a “call to action,” McLeaming suggests council initiate a full financial review of all PCP-related expenditures since 2018 and assess the full financial impact and then end program participation.
From there, McLeaming would like council to “launch a locally driven, cost-effective environmental stewardship initiative; tailored to Tay Township’s unique needs.”
McLeaming says this process would enhance citizen engagement while fostering “transparency and collaboration with residents to shape priorities and ensure accountability.”
As the PCP program now stands, McLeaming says it offers the township insufficient return on investment with questionable benefits.
“The program’s outcomes, focusing on global sustainability goals, offer limited tangible benefits to small, rural communities like Tay Township,” McLeaming writes in the submission, adding that local needs are overlooked.
“(An) emphasis on broad milestones detracts from addressing specific local environmental challenges.”
Tay’s council meeting at the municipal office begins at 7 p.m.
