ASKING QUESTIONS IS PART OF THE JOB

Managing editor David Wylie EDITORIAL July 26 http://www.dailycourier.ca/
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It's a shame that Vernon city councillor Barry Beardsell is becoming notorious as a naysayer. There are times when Beardsell, who is serving his fourth term on Vernon council, seems to be the lone voice of reason.Or at least the only councillor gutsy enough to hold city staff accountable and speak his concerns.One of the issues he's been chipping away at is city spending on furniture. Of course the city needs to buy furniture for its many offices and departments. So it wasn't the $86,000 that was spent last year that raised Beardsell's eyebrows, as much as the fact $66,000 of that cost was buried in the budget - invisible to Beardsell, who is by profession a chartered accountant.So at Monday's council meeting, Beardsell took the chance - the last chance he'll have - to question retiring finance manger Bernie Fehrmann about why the original sum wasn't originally reported.For his efforts, Beardsell received boos and hisses from the peanut gallery.Mayor Wayne Lippert told him to look more closely at the financial reports next time, and Coun. Jack Gilroy snapped, "I don't think you should pick on Bernie anymore."It seems more and more Beardsell has been the lone "No" in a chorus of "Yes'"during council.And Beardsell's concerns haven't only fallen on deaf ears during council meetings. During Monday's council meeting Beardsell said he was frustrated with the responses he has received from the city finance department aboutthe expenditures on the city's Mastercard program, which totaled more than $720,000 last year.The question is: What did staff buy with that money?Council would be wise to remember they are in charge. It's their responsibility to keep staff accountable and to question relentlessly. We aren't saying city staff have done anything wrong; all we're saying is that the city's financial books should be fully transparent.That's not "picking on Bernie." It's simply being responsible to the taxpayer, a lesson Beardsell has obviously learned during his decade on council.