A Steinbach city councillor has called out three of his colleagues who keep bringing up a decision they dislike. John Fehr made his comments Tuesday evening in responding to councillors Earl Funk, Susan Penner and Michael Zwaagstra who are opposing the city's 2018 budget because money from the city's land acquisition budget is being used for the city's land deal with the golf course last year. Fehr admonished them for continuing to regurgitate an old issue.
Mayor Chris Goertzen says all councillors have items they wish were or were not in the budget but adds, in municipal politics, there must be compromise.
"We're here to look at the big picture, not the small picture. We could all look at the small picture and pick up little things or larger things that are missing in this budget that we wish were there or weren't there. There are council members around this table who have chosen to find one thing in this budget they don't like and that makes them decide not to vote for it. That's fine. But our job as council members is to find compromise and, from what I'm hearing here today, the majority has. So I appreciate that. Thank-you."
Goertzen adds if all councillors chose to reject the budget because of one small line item they don't agree with, it would never be approved. He says he will continue to work with all members of council to try and find compromises that reflect the reality of the community.