I wonder if anyone has ever thought about doing this here in Tofino... https://www.albernivalleynews.com/news/budget-2020-city-of-port-alberni-department-heads-asked-to-justify-costs/
Councillor Law posted a notice of tomorrows Jan 31st Budget meeting on Facebook, two hours ago. I thank him for this, it's more than the rest of DOT staff and council managed to keep me informed about. Here's my comment to his post:
I've tried to read the agenda on the district website. The text is so small that it's impossible to make out. I'm elderly, and don't hear well, so attending the council meeting, where all business is carried out at "whisper" volume, is a total waste of my time, I learn nothing there. As a result, I'm 100% left out of learning what's in the financial plan, or the budget, or participating in the process in any way. I have no way of knowing if any of the requested suggestions or feedback from the public, following the open house, were considered or adopted. This is the first I've heard of this meeting, 11 hours before it starts, and I tend to keep try to keep myself informed of the goings-on in the district office. I'll guess that 99% of Tofino's residents don't even know that this is happening. I expect that, like 2019, staff will find places to spend ALL of the available money, council will rubber stamp their plans, the residents of Tofino will be ignored, taxed, and told afterward of a "fait acompli". At no point will council haul staff department heads up on the mat to justify their spending proposals, to explore more prudent options, to seek better value for the taxpayer, or perhaps to justify if some particular expense is even required. I'll never forget that infamous quote from someone observing council at the 2019 budget meeting..... "They said nothing. They looked around the room, they looked at each other, they looked up, mesmerized by the florescent lights. They said nothing. Then, in lockstep, they voted unanimously to approve..." Will 2020 be any different?”
I wonder if anyone has ever thought about doing this here in Tofino... https://www.albernivalleynews.com/news/budget-2020-city-of-port-alberni-department-heads-asked-to-justify-costs/
ReplyDeleteCouncillor Law posted a notice of tomorrows Jan 31st Budget meeting on Facebook, two hours ago. I thank him for this, it's more than the rest of DOT staff and council managed to keep me informed about.
ReplyDeleteHere's my comment to his post:
I've tried to read the agenda on the district website. The text is so small that it's impossible to make out. I'm elderly, and don't hear well, so attending the council meeting, where all business is carried out at "whisper" volume, is a total waste of my time, I learn nothing there. As a result, I'm 100% left out of learning what's in the financial plan, or the budget, or participating in the process in any way. I have no way of knowing if any of the requested suggestions or feedback from the public, following the open house, were considered or adopted. This is the first I've heard of this meeting, 11 hours before it starts, and I tend to keep try to keep myself informed of the goings-on in the district office. I'll guess that 99% of Tofino's residents don't even know that this is happening. I expect that, like 2019, staff will find places to spend ALL of the available money, council will rubber stamp their plans, the residents of Tofino will be ignored, taxed, and told afterward of a "fait acompli". At no point will council haul staff department heads up on the mat to justify their spending proposals, to explore more prudent options, to seek better value for the taxpayer, or perhaps to justify if some particular expense is even required. I'll never forget that infamous quote from someone observing council at the 2019 budget meeting..... "They said nothing. They looked around the room, they looked at each other, they looked up, mesmerized by the florescent lights. They said nothing. Then, in lockstep, they voted unanimously to approve..." Will 2020 be any different?”