This decision of the Committee will be considered for endorsement at the Cariboo RD Board's meeting on Friday, December 13th
Meanwhile - Heloise Dixon-Warren, the Electoral Area B Director has taken to her Facebook page to express her concern of the Committee's decision as follows:
On Friday, November 29th, at the CRD Finance / Budget Committee Meeting, all 5 of the Grants for Assistance for Electoral Area B were received by the Board of Directors with no further direction given (Sec. 2.1). This is the equivalent to the grants being denied.While I understand her frustration at the lack of clear rules to measure Grants for Assistance against -- as an Alternate Director, I too was frustrated when I asked for UBCM Minister meetings on behalf of my Area Director and the Regional Board turned me down as was their right. As Director Dixon-Warren says, if you disagree with the Board, you need to let them know now prior to them adopting the 2014 Cariboo RD Budget. You can email the entire Board at mailbox@cariboord.bc.ca
In Sec. 2.4 of the same agenda $75,900 worth of grants were approved by the CRD for the South Cariboo. I have written a Report outlining the Grants for Assistance process and will be distributing this report to the "Area B Resident Advisory Committee" who took time out of their day to review the Electoral Area grant applications and make recommendations. I may distribute this report via email and on my blog also.
The budget approved by the CRD Board of Directors on Nov. 29th is the PRELIMINARY BUDGET. The public consultation process will now occur between now and the end of March, when the budget is adopted. If you wish to comment on the budget and or any budget processed or taxation functions, this is the time to do it.
Meanwhile - one of my residents in Area D has taken to protest a decision of the Cariboo RD Board in regards to a new Staff position within the Central Cariboo Recreation/Leisure Services Function. Read the letter below and should you agree, please again email the Board at mailbox@cariboord.bc.ca
An Open Letter to CRD Chair Richmond and CRD Directors,
My letter is to register my concern, dismay, and frustration as a taxpayer with respect to the recent decision to create a new staff support decision in the CRD Cariboo Chilcotin Recreation budget line item. As presented at the recent Joint Committee this position was put forward as a result of the burn-out of volunteers at the Esler Complex. Also at the same meeting the proposal for funding the position was $80,000 plus benefits.
As a taxpayer one can only have serious questions about this decision. Firstly, when was the CRD mandated to create staff support positions as a result of burn out of volunteers? There must be a multiplicity of groups and agencies with volunteers who must be near burn-out. It would be my contention that this decision is absolutely inappropriate! Secondly, this decision seems to be counter to any consideration of priorities. It would appear to this taxpayer that there is a monumental failure of governance when (1) there is not a set of priorities established by taxpayers/Board which guides decisions, and (2) when there is a multiplicity of over a hundred line items where it would appear CRD decision makers are trying to be all things to all people rather than to operate on established and defined priorities.
If the CRD Board in its wisdom deems that it has money to spend, surely priorities such as contributing to a 2 million reserve for the CMRC pool, infrastructure maintenance, re-evaluation of CCSearch and Rescue funding, and CCRegional Hospital District funding, would all be higher priorities than creating another staff support position with benefits.
I resent having to pay another 5% on the recreation line item for this new position and benefits and I certainly resent the view that some may see this as this as only a $3/100,000 increase. As I understand it, this new $80,000 position and benefits would cost approximately $3.19 per 100,000 of assessed value in the first year…and more each year thereafter. A reminder to directors that this is tax payer money and that this decision would be a TAX INCREASE.
Rather than just complaining about this decision, might I add the following suggestions for change.
(1) Initiate a comprehensive plan to allow taxpayers to establish with the Board a clear set of spending priorities that the board will use for guidance in decision making.
(2) Please do not spend money you do not have! Stop creating new positions with benefits! Stop spending and set about a process to re-establish priorities. When you have spent the tax allocation monies available to you, those below the affordable line which are lower priorities are NOT to be funded.
(3) Please stop trying to be all things to all people (a good approach for re-election but not for honest governance in dealing with financial priorities).
(4) Please re-establish a sense on the Board that not all tax payers are prepared to have this continuation of spending and tax increases. In these difficult times a tax decrease would be more appropriate with a concomitant increase of spending for high priority needs.
I trust that the CRD Board in its wisdom will reconsider the funding of the newly supported staff support position.
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