Town of High Prairie Councillor Debbie Rose is right when she says any budget increase must be paid on the backs of High Prairie taxpayers.

The statement was made in response to a requested $20,000 increase in the High Prairie Municipal Library’s budget.

The fact of the matter is any increase in council expenditures is done on the backs of taxpayers. It may be the $20,000 the library board is requesting, or money to cover the $400,000+ operating deficit the indoor operates under each year. The $20,000 seems like a pittance when compared to what the library wants.

Councillors are paid to make decisions – paid on the backs of the taxpayers. Every decision they make is scrutinized, every decision will be approved by many, and opposed by many.

Which leads me to this…

A few weeks ago at a High Prairie Regals meeting, they expressed dissatisfaction over the sound system in the Sports Palace. Not knowing that the system is not nearly what it used to be, I said it was one of the best in the Peace Country. I have to admit I suffered from a serious case of foot in mouth disease. I was shocked after attending a Regals game to hear how horribly bad the sound system is.

Whatever the problem is, it is not being fixed.

No one seems to know what the problem is. We do know the system appeared to be damaged when the arena manager’s office was renovated. It is no one’s fault, and we don’t even know if that’s the problem.

What we do know is this. The sound system needs to be fixed, upgraded, or replaced.

Keep in mind, Big Lakes County pays for half of capital and operating money for the arena.

So, where to get the money?

Former councillor Barry Sharkawi has a suggestion. Why not take the $15,000 the High Prairie Sesquicentennial Committee has suggested for a clock for the Civic Square and reallocate it a new sound system?

Would that not be money better spent?

Do we need honestly need a clock in the Civic Square? Can’t we program the time into the existing electronic message board? Most people have cell phones so they know the time anyway.

Council says money is tight. Isn’t this a good time to reallocate money for something we don’t need and upgrade a sound system we can actually hear?

Do we want to put up with an inferior sound system or restore, repair or replace the old one? It’s difficult to go from one extreme to the other, especially when it’s the best to worst.

I have not seen a recreation board budget. I wonder if they are requesting capital money next year to do the job. If so, it will be in their budget request.

There is money available and council does not to look very hard to find it rather than ask the taxpayer to bear the burden of additional costs.