Venture Kamloops has once again committed executivecide. Less than four years ago, the taxpayer-funded agency of the city that exists to attract business to Kamloops fired its head honcho for no discernible reason. This week, Venture Kamloops has again fired its CEO, with Gail Scott being jettisoned after a mere year on the job. This latest development does raise a number of questions, as did the firing of M.J. Cousins in the summer of 2005. Then, the VK board said Cousins’ firing had nothing to do with money or performance. Indeed, she was the reigning Bank of Montreal Economic Developer of the Year and had just led Convergys to town. But, taking a page from the Kamloops Blazers when they were at the apex of success, VK issued vague notions of “going in a new direction.” Like Cousins, Scott will get a severance package that will not be publicly revealed despite the fact the public (i.e. you the Kamloops taxpayer) is footing the bill.
Perhaps with two top dogs leaving with some parting cash in a span of less than four years, and with the VK contract up for renewal this fall, now is the time to ask the question: Is Venture Kamloops worth retaining as an entity? What has the millions of dollars spent on it brought to Kamloops, in a concrete sense? How many businesses have arrived in the city as a direct result of work by the agency? What other benefits has Kamloops experienced because of VK of which the taxpayer should be aware? Does the money spent justify its existence, or could its mandate be taken up by agencies such as the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Kamloops?
These are questions city council should be pondering — and these are questions to which the public deserves answers. After all, they pay the bills — including the severance deals.
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