Council ripe for third-party rule? – Winnipeg Free Press

July 22, 2014

The City of Winnipeg is currently going through a management crisis. Deals that have been made by city council and the civic administration over the past three years have been criticized as unethical, immoral and even illegal. Citizens are wrestling with what to do to correct things at city hall.

Outside measures are usually called for when there have been complaints by citizens that they are being denied the services they expect, or that there has been criticism over bad budgeting, fiscal mismanagement, deadlocks on council, poor-quality reporting, cronyism in hiring and exorbitant pay. Examples of all of this taking place at city hall have been reported in the mainstream media recently.

It is interesting to note these are the exact list of circumstances that cause Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada to implement the controversial practice of third-party management on First Nations.

First of all, the issue of cronyism has been raised at city hall because Phil Sheegl, who has close personal and professional ties with Mayor Sam Katz, was hired as chief administrative officer for the City of Winnipeg.