Thursday’s front page of the Gleaner featured two articles of note, the first that New Brunswick jobs are at risk and immediately below it, an article in which the city is attempting to defend sending our tax dollars to an Ontario firm to build a website. The tourismfredericton.com website is a prime example of what is wrong in New Brunswick and the sickness that is rampant in our municipal offices.

Local businesses are the heart of our community and account for 80% of the jobs in Fredericton yet our tax dollars are sent to Ontario web design firms because as Mr. Jellinek erroneously points out, the city is looking for the “bang for the buck”.

Personally, I don’t build the type of website the city needed for tourismfredericton.com and as such, would not have bid on the project but I am offended by the thought that our municipal tax dollars are routinely sent out of the city to firms in Moncton, Nova Scotia and Ontario when qualified, talented and affordable firms are here in the city.

In the future, I hope that city hall will take the time to survey local companies before simply sending my hard earned dollars away from my community.