A man who signed off on many budgets says St. John’s has to get back to basics and quit spending money on frivolous pursuits.

Gerry Colbert, a former deputy mayor and chair of finance and chair of the St. John’s Transportation Commission, says the focus always has to be on core services. If there’s extra money around, then look at items outside the core.

Currently, St. John’s is eyeing cuts to Metrobus and changes to the fire department. Colbert wonders why they spent so much on changing Rawlins Cross and installing pylon bike lanes on Elizabeth Avenue and the like.

Colbert says they were wasting money, especially on Rawlins Cross changing it, then changing it back.

As for Mile One, Colbert can’t see any reason to continue hanging onto it. The KPMG study on privatization will be given to the city council in the next few weeks.

He wants the study to show him why the city should not sell it, not why they should. Colbert says if someone out there is willing to provide the same service, then the city should not be involved.