Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 25/9/2014 (2187 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

City hall gadfly David Sanders turned his attention onto another mayoral candidate Thursday morning, describing Gord Steeves’ promises as unrealistic and "dogmatic."

Sanders, a late entrant into the mayoral race, said Steeves has made a series of promises that will worsen the city’s financial situation, tighten developers’ grips on city hall, and put greater distance and secrecy between city hall and its citizens.

"There is no pot of gold at the end of this one-time rainbow," Sanders said in reference to Steeves’ scheme to pay for road work by selling of city golf courses, the new police headquarters building and the Millennium Library parkade.

"I am not for sale and neither is city hall."

Sanders has been a constant critic of council and senior administration for the past 18 months, attending almost all of council and committee meetings and presenting detailed analysis of projects and reports.

Sanders is a retired provincial employee who rose to the senior rank of deputy minister of two separate portfolios, chaired an intergovernmental committee that paved the way for the creation of The Forks, and remains a practicing lawyer who takes on cases without charge.

Sanders criticized Brian Bowman’s platform last week and he said he’ll be looking at the other candidates in the remaining time before the Oct. 22 election.

Sanders said Steeves’ promise of a property tax freeze is unrealistic given city hall is already facing a $20 million deficit for this year, and $70 million for 2015.

"No one likes a tax increase," Sanders said, "Finding an acceptable way out of the financial mess the old council has left behind is going to be difficult enough without having to accommodate any dogmatic decision to limit our community’s options."

Sanders said a modest tax increase is likely for 2015 but would not say how much he would raise taxes until he sits down with the new council and reviews the financial situation they are facing.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca