Dear editor:

Our small town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is awash with practising and retired professionals from a broad cross-section of disciplines.

Our municipal government needs to pick their collective brains.

We will soon embark on a new council term, hopefully a more sympathetic one, with councillors attentive to their constituents’ concerns and aspirations.

I look forward to a culture in keeping with improving our quality of life and retaining the heritage of NOTL.

Accordingly it is incumbent on councillors to effect a paradigm shift in their mode of operation, be more transparent (as they promised during their election stump speeches) and, more importantly, solicit, learn from and consult with the abundance of talented professional individuals residing in our community.

The cost savings from their counsel would be immeasurable.

I would qualify that such input would be received on a sounding board basis only – a professional guideline for negotiations or discussions with any regulatory body or others.

A free education, so to speak, as a prelude to addressing matters unfamiliar to those on the council.

Professionals in our town expressed their opinions to our previous council and, in numerous cases, solutions to problems. They were ignored and their input fell on deaf ears, perhaps one reason for a lower turnout in the Oct. 24 election.

These are residents invested in the future success and growth of our town because they are passionate, caring individuals.

Let’s change the culture during the next term and maximize these talents for the growth and well-being of NOTL going forward.

Samuel Young

NOTL