Mr. Murray provided the following clarification:
Thanks for your inquiry and for the opportunity to clarify dates and information as it relates to the LRT program and monies spent. Last October through a report and presentation to committee staff advised members of City Council that we had spent approximately $5.1m of city budgeted money on LRT work plus the $3m Metrolinx grant - totaling $8.1 Million.
In that report we also advised Council that we would be spending an additional $965,000 (funded from previous Metrolinx grant money which is now in a reserve) to complete some additional work. This money was again part of the Metrolinx grant.
Most recently, LRT staff provided members of Council a verbal update earlier this month on the status of our work and expenditures.
The new total to date is $9.1 Million ($5.1 Million City/$4 Million metrolinx). I hope this information is sufficient and if you require additional details, I'd be happy to try and track that down for you.
We advised Mr. Murray that the information provided is sufficient and that there was no need to track it down any further. Thank-you to Chris for engaging with Hamiltonians on The Hamiltonian.
What have we actually got for the $9.1 million spent? A cheesy video and a mountain of studies, but nothing costed out going forward. Huston, we have a problem.
ReplyDeleteThank you
ReplyDeleteThe information you shared is very informative.
"...The Hamiltonian asked City Manager Chris Murray to explain how a yearly municipal commitment of $200,000.00 per year for three years, for LRT funding, grew to 5 million dollars."
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry if I've missed something, but where in there is the question 'how it grew' is answered? Numbers are provided, but to me providing an answer to 'How?' involves actually detailing specifics. For example, I'd have expected that a) the $200,000 be deconstructed, and b) the remainder of the monies spent be detailed.
So from my perspective, nothing was actually 'answered', other than the admission/clarification that 'Yes, additional monies were spent, everything's fine, no worries.' Now, I am not suggesting anything untoward has gone on, having attended the Metrolinx session at Council last year, and I have absolute confidence in Mr. Murray...however, in light of the HWT situation, don't you think that we maybe need some further clarification about all these monies...?
I am very interested in knowing where all this money was spent. I think the public deserves to know the exact breakdown.
ReplyDeleteMarsha
That is a heck of a lot of cash. What did we get for it?
ReplyDeleteSorce
It's not really a lot of cash when one considers the scope of the project being considered and what producing any type of transportation infrastructure costs.
DeleteThat said, "What did we get for it?" is a good question. The entire thing seems to be dying on the political vine despite some very good reasons to purse it further.
Dear TH,
ReplyDeleteLast week, Mayor Bratina said Council had approved $600,000 over 3 years and had "no recollection" of how the approved costs ballooned to $5 million.
Chris Murray has told us nothing more than what we already knew from the Mayor - the cost was indeed $5M.
TH, am confused as to why you don't want him to "try and track down" the "additional details" that would explain how and why we went from a council-approved $600G to the $5 million.
We are in the process of following up on this matter and will post more information once we receive it. Thank-you for your comments and observations and stay tuned.....
ReplyDeleteThe Hamiltonian
Thanks kindly, I really appreciate it.
Delete$5 Million! WHY are Hamilton's Elected representatives not putting a STOP to
ReplyDeletewasting the YEARLY $2.5+ Mil on TOXIC
Cancerous Municipal Water Fluoridation??? MANY other Cities have!