Peter Reesor, CEO and Chair of the Advocacy Committee of the Owen Sound & District Chamber of Commerce, made the following deputation at the special meeting of the Owen Sound city council about the Bluewater District School Board's Accomodation Review.

As the voice of nearly 450+ members of the local business community, the mission of the Owen Sound and District Chamber of Commerce is to develop and support a prosperous community through advocacy and leadership that promotes a healthy economic and social environment.

Many of the educational elements of the recent decision by the Bluewater District School Board torationalize public elementary and secondary schools in Owen Sound are beyond our mission. But some key elements are directly relevant to our mandate and expertise and from what we have seen, or not seen, they are concerning to the Chamber and our members.

The Bluewater District School Board is entrusted with not only making informed educational decisions in the best interests of the students and parents they serve, but also make sound and rational business decisions. After all it's not their money they are spending – it's the taxpayers'.

As business leaders, our members approach investment and reorganization decisions in an open, fact-based and orderly way. Values for money calculations are essential in such processes. In our view -- that is how the City of Owen Sound is conducting its internal restructuring and we commend them for it. However, such disciplined analysis and focus appears to be starkly and disturbingly absent from the Bluewater District School Board's decisions. If appropriate rigour was involved, it has been poorly communicated -- if at all -- to students, families, business, the City and ultimately local taxpayers.

In making its decisions did the School Board take into account the many related costs that the City of Owen Sound and Grey County will likely incur and the tax hikes that may need to be imposed?

Did it identify and factor in the clear social costs, their impact, and their remediation? Did it conduct any kind of value for money calculations? If not, why not? These are all key ingredients of making an informed business decision. If they did do this essential work then it is incumbent on the Board to share the results. Because frankly – we don't understand how their decision makes business sense.

It's no secret that these are challenging economic and social times. Hard decisions with real consequences are taken by individuals, families and businesses every day. Government agencies are not immune from this reality. Indeed, as taxpayer funded entities these agencies have an added obligation to exercise a high level of due diligence, professionalism and transparency. Doing so builds the trust that is inherent in delegated authority like our School Board.

We believe that the Bluewater District School Board has not yet earned that trust.

&