Dear editor:

I suspect that Ron Fritz’s excellent letter about the town needing to pick and choose its legal battles likely reflects the opinion of the majority of Niagara-on-the-Lake residents who are fed up with unsustainable property tax increases year after year.

Mr. Fritz references a councillor stating that “sometimes the protection of the town has to be fought for as a matter of principle.”

I well remember the quote where the councillor in question expressed his view that legal challenges were necessary even when there was a zero chance of success.

In other words this councillor was perfectly willing to see taxpayers’ money wasted on frivolous legal action and we have seen our property taxes escalate needlessly as a result.

I think this is because some members of council are committed to the status quo and will resist change and progress simply as “a matter of principle.”

Such views are, in my opinion, counter-productive to good governance in a dynamic environment; they are also costly.

Fortunately I believe we now have a majority of council members who do not share these views and have the courage to make the difficult decisions, even if these are unpopular with some people.

This is called leadership.

Jonathan Household
NOTL