Montreal Ombudsman Pleads for Additional Funds
The municpal ombudsman for Montreal has seen a 13-fold increase in complaints since its founding in 2003. In 2006, Johanne Savard's office handled more than 1,300 matters, up from 541 new complaints in 2005 and 211 in 2004. Over that time, the office staff has increased from three to seven. Savard attributed the increase in caseload to greater public awareness of her role as the public's last recourse, rather than to a rise in problems. In spite of Savard's request, the ombudsman's budget for 2007 will likely remain unchanged at $700,000, due to Montreal's continuing budget shortfall. (Montreal Gazette; Ombudsman de Montréal.)
No comments:
Post a Comment