Dear Editor,
Does Mr. Wills not know that a not-for-profit association, such as the TCRA, cannot get more than $1,000 a year for rent because to do so would be illegal? Is he aware that after more than one request by the mayor to sign a lease, the TCRA refused so therefore no monies could be paid? Just like the notice board used to charge $600/year for inserting the municipality’s minutes – but refused to write up a bill – the expense could not be justified. To do so would have been irresponsible and unfair to taxpayers and dangerous should provincial auditors have come in to look at the municipality’s books.

Wills will recall that, at the first meeting with several taxpayers, the mayor was willing to accept getting a piece of land from the TCRA in order to store the expensive equipment and to build a new fire hall. This was accepted by the president of the TCRA.
Several members did not agree and said this decision would have to be made by the taxpayers. As far as I am aware this was never put to the people but an agreement was reached between council and the TCRA. I brought up the fact that I felt that an elected official who was also a board member of the TCRA had a conflict of interest and suggested that that person resign one of the seats. That person gave up the board member’s position but continues to be their treasurer (still a conflict of interest as far as I am concerned).
The municipality had no choice but to get lawyers involved because the TCRA dug in their heels and stalled and stalled and stalled some more. The recommendation made by the mayor at that first meeting would have been a win-win situation for everyone and ultimately that is the way things turned out.
I would like to know where Wills got his information that $100,000 was spent on lawyers when in fact less than half of that was spent. Also Wills has to know that the fire hall, garage and eventually the municipal hall will be at no cost to the taxpayers.
In my humble opinion the decision made, by the council of the day, to sell their property to the TCRA for one dollar was a huge mistake. Does Wills know that Thorne is the only municipality throughout Quebec that does not own the municipal office/property? Unfortunately, from what I have heard, that decision was very divisive at the time and continues to be divisive almost 30 years later. It’s a real shame! This is not the mayor’s fault.
Why would the mayor have raised taxes, as some councillors suggested, when the evaluation of Thorne has increased every year by thousands and thousands of dollars? Why would the mayor not allow ratepayers to keep that money to do with what they choose? To me that decision was a responsible decision and very respectful to every taxpayer in Thorne.
I agree with Wills that Thorne is a great place to visit and to live. Perhaps that explains why Thorne, under the leadership and common sense approach of our mayor, is the fastest growing municipality in all of the Pontiac.
I say shame on those councillors who have, from day one and consistently since, tried to discredit our mayor.

Diane Champoux
Thorne, Que.