St. John's mayor goes on attack as Grand Concourse funding spat heats up

St. John's MayorDennis O'Keefehas gone on the offensiveafter complaints about budget cuts at the Grand Concourse Authority, but the group is standing by its criticism of council, and now a prominent Goulds family is adding its voice to the debate.

• Budget cuts to St. John's trails called 'a stab in the back' of Grand Concourse founder

At issue is council's decision to trim $390,000 from the GCA's2016maintenance budget, and claims by the authority's executive officer Addison Bown that the cuts were a surprise and a breach of contract.

"The remarks by Mr. Bown that this happened all of a sudden are completely erroneous," said the mayor in a lengthy statement at Monday's weekly council meeting.

O'Keefe said there were a series of meetings over the past two years, and said the authority knew the changes would happen Jan. 1.

He lashed out at Bown's comments Monday to CBCabout how the cuts reflected on the the founder of the Grand Concourse, philanthropist Paul Johnson.

"To say that it was like a stab in the back to Mr. Johnson and worse again worse again to say that if Mr. Johnson had not been cremated he would roll over in his grave. Remarks like that have, aside from being abominable, they have no place in discussing policy. They are totally out of line, totally reprehensible, totally abominable," said O'Keefe.

"I have to say that Mr.Bownshould do the honourable thing, he should resign his position as executive officer of the Grand Concourse Authority, or the board of directors of the Grand Concourse Authority should remove him from that position."

'When pigs fly'

Responding to O'Keefe'sremarks,Bowntold the St. John's Morning Show Tuesday that he will resign only if the boardat the GCA ask him to.

"The chances of that happening I'd say is about the same chances as pigs flying," he said.

Bowndenied that he had advance knowledge of the cuts.

"I did have a meeting with city officials when Paul Johnson was in attendance in 2014 and the only cuts they talked about were the city dump, the waste disposal site, the Mews Centre and the city depot because they weren't part of the Grand Concourse Authority," he said.

"What the mayor is getting on with, I don't know."

Bidgood family weighs in

The Grand Concourse Authority manages about 160 kilometres of trails as well as several monuments and parks.

A St. John's family whodonated money and land for a park in Gouldsweighed in on the dispute Tuesday.

"These are very sad days in the City of St. John's," wrote Elaine Bidgoodin a letter to the mayor.

"I cannot see how the city can possibly keep up with the work required in maintaining the 35sites that have been cut from the GCA budget, including Bidgood Park."

Bidgoodreminded the mayor that he helped cut the ribbon for the park's opening in 2014.

"Taxpayers have invested a $1,000,000in Bidgood Park, the Bidgood Family $700,000," she wrote.

"And I questionthe cost savings to the city, as top notch professional continued maintenance is far cheaperthan catch up repair because the city cannot keep up with the work."

In an interview with CBC, Bidgood went further.

"It's like building a gorgeoushome, and then puttinghalf-assed maintenance into it," she said.

Confidence in private sector

In a news conference Tuesday, the mayor said council "has a responsibility to spend taxpayer money wisely."

It's like building agorgeoushome, and then puttinghalf-assedmaintenance into it- Elaine Bidgood

He said the Grand Concourse Authority will continue to maintain all trails in St. John's with a budget of $550,000, and some of the money being taken away is for "one-off" projects.

"And they would no longer be taking care of our monuments that are not part of thetrail system and the landscaping of city buildings," said O'Keefe.

According to the mayor, the decision follows an audit done for the city, and a legal opinion,saying that work should go to public tender.

He said the goal is to save money, but council has confidence thatthe private sector can get the job done.

"For anybodyto think thatthe trail system in the city of St. John's all of a sudden will disappear or fall into disrepute or be damaged, is incorrect," saidO'Keefe.

He said there is no reason for the city to pay for trails outside its jurisdiction in Pippy Park and in the WaterfordValley, for example.