Update - City of WL states its' case on comments from Candie Laporte (former Director of Finance)

Earlier today (Friday, March 4th), the Rush (local Radio) ran this story:

WILLIAMS LAKE MAYOR KERRY COOK HAS RESPONDED TO ALLEGATIONS OF A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AT WILLIAMS LAKE CITY HALL.

COOK REFUSED COMMENT ON THE DISMISSAL OF FORMER DIRECTOR OF FINANCE CANDIE LAPORTE OTHER THAN TO SAY THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY WHILE EMPHASIZING A LEGAL PROCESS WAS FOLLOWED AND IT WAS A COUNCIL DECISION TO TERMINATE HER.

AS FOR COST OVERRUNS AT THE CITY OF WILLIAMS LAKE NEW FIRE HALL, COOK SAYS THEY THERE’S BEEN CONFUSION SURROUNDING THE CITY'S CONTINGENCY FUND FOR THE NEW FIRE HALL BUDGET OF $300,000 AND SAYS THE OVERRUNS REMAIN AT $528,000 – NOT THE $828,000 LAPORTE IS CLAIMING.

FINALLY, COOK EXPRESSED FULL CONFIDENCE IN CITY CAO, BRIAN CARRUTHERS BY SAYING HE HAS THE FULL RESPECT AND SUPPORT OF COUNCIL AND THAT HE HAS BALANCED A $20 MILLION DOLLAR OPERATING BUDGET.

Based upon the above - it will be very interesting to follow the public debate next week (letters to the editor - Tuesday and Thursday editions of Williams Lake Tribune and next Wednesday's edition of the Cariboo Advisor) that leads into Thursday's City of WL 2011 Budget meeting.  If the Williams Lake Tribune decides to report on this story on Tuesday, March 8th, and the Cariboo Advisor decides to do a story on this on Wednesday, March 9th, then the stories that the Tribune/Advisor could run on this subject plus letters to the editor on this next week may be a very telling sign into what questions (above story plus actual budget questions) the public may bring to Thursday's City of WL 2011 Budget Meeting

SBF