Full Podcast: https://lovethenorth.ca/article/260916-bill-leduc-goes-deep-are Sudbury Ward 11 Councillor Bill Leduc raises a major question about the new downtown Event Centre: **how can Council confidently approve a project when councillors still do not have the final cost?** Leduc says the City has been working with a roughly **$200-million budget**, but he stresses that a budget is not the same thing as the final price. In the interview, he says he has repeatedly asked for the **Class B estimate** — a more detailed construction estimate that should give Council a much clearer picture of what the project is expected to cost. According to Leduc, that Class B estimate had still not been provided to him at the time of the interview. That is where the accountability issue begins. If councillors do not yet have the detailed estimate, how can they know whether the arena will finish near $200 million, substantially above it, or what additional costs may sit outside that headline number? Leduc also points to related spending such as land acquisition and surrounding infrastructure, arguing that taxpayers need to understand the **total financial commitment**, not simply the construction budget discussed publicly. The City’s own project information shows construction is already underway, with foundations and structural work scheduled through 2026 and completion targeted for 2028. **For taxpayers, the question is simple: before hundreds of millions of dollars are committed, shouldn’t the people voting on the project know as closely as possible what the final bill will actually be?** Leduc compares proceeding without that information to **signing a blank cheque.** #Sudbury #BillLeduc #EventCentre #Arena #TaxpayerDollars #CityHall #Accountability #MunicipalSpending #GreaterSudbury #LoveTheNorth