Here at the Westlock News, we are understandably concerned about how our public dollars are spent.
After all, the average citizen does not have nearly enough time to attend every council meeting, every court day, every school board meeting, and also keep track of what our provincial and federal elected representatives are up to.
Simply put, it’s our job to bring this news to our readers, and it’s a job we take very seriously. Even in a small town, democracy can’t function properly without one or more independent news sources reporting what’s happening.
We were happy to learn this week, then, that the RCMP investigation into an allegation of fraud against an employee of the Pembina Hills school division has been concluded, and a report sent off to the Crown prosecutor’s office to determine if charges will be laid.
The timing of the investigation, which began on Nov. 5, 2010, less than two weeks after former Supt. Richard Harvey’s unexplained departure form his post, has given rise to speculation the two issues are connected. It has been said before, but it bears repeating: we do not know of any evidence indicating the investigation is related to Harvey’s departure.
Regardless of whether or not the two issues are related, however, the school division’s secrecy surrounding Harvey’s departure has done little to benefit the public who pay for the division through tax dollars, the staff of the division, or the students and parents.
We should all have the right to know what’s happening with our money, and with the people charged with managing that money.
That being said, the judicial process can be one that grinds along very, very slowly. There is no way to know if and when charges will be laid, and if they are, there is no way to know when we will know the truth of what happened. It is not unheard of for a particular case to be before the courts for many months, or even many years.
While it’s good news that the RCMP has concluded its investigation, we should avoid jumping to any conclusions before the legal process runs its course.
