Construction of a Budget

There's nothing hit or miss about it. It's built on ten year capital forecastes; Strategic Plan;Master Recreation Plan ; etcetera etcetera etcetera .

During the year, people come to council with ideas and requests. Usually the response is to refer it to next year's budget.

Except if it's Councillor MacEachern

Sometimes another Councillor might bring up an idea and it gets referred to next year's budget.

Often it's a way of avoiding dealing with an issue.

The traffic calming project in the north-east quadrant was an example.

The previous Council gave clamouring neighbours, a consultant to sit down with them and make a plan. The consultant cost $25 thousand.

When the plan came back the project estimate was $100 thousand. Everything in the catalogue was in the plan.

Then we had an election.

In the first budget of the new council , the estimate was $80 thousand. Wayne Jackson, Director of Public Works had left by then having disowned the plan before going.

Staff had refined the plan. The contract was called. Low bid was $211. thousand plus. The extra money was not in the budget. Council were not inclined.

The Mayor directed staff to hand deliver letters to all interested neighbours before Tuesday's Council meeting when the decision would be made.

The neighbours descended like wolves on the fold. The majority of Councillors capitulated.

The money was not in the budget. The contract was awarded anyway and we know the result.

People came from miles around to see .

They were not there to view the charming heritage ambiance the Mayor declared is so special as to warrant a $211thousand pandering package of the nth degree.

Anyway... back to budget.

A forecast is usually made of the next year's anticipated increase at budget finalisation..

Department budgets are based on pre- approvals. The work is submitted to the CAO and Treasurer for analysis and justification and often deferral of some projects to fit what might be considered a reasonable tax increase.

When the work is done, the budget comes to Council for approval.

It shouldn't be a long haul from then. Everything has been pre-approved. There are few surprises.

When our previous Treasurer joined us, we accepted his guidance to start budget preparation early with a schedule of dates aiming for completion before year's end. An early start on contracts is regarded as good strategy leading to better prices.

In 2008, the budget was ready in September. A schedule of meetings ending before Christmas was presented.

Councillor MacEachern had to change that. Full days Saturday suited the Councillor better.

It mattered not. The meetings never happened.

The January day the new Chief Administrative Officer joined the Corporation, the Mayor marched in to the Treasurer's office, CAO following, threw budget binder on the Treasurer's desk, told him it was garbage and ordered him to start over.

Apparently the Mayor believes that's how CEOs are supposed to behave towards underlings.

The Treasurer waited for them to leave his office, made his way immediately to the Clerk's Office and submitted notice of his resignation.

For the sake of his staff, he stayed until April when the budget was finalised.

No recruitment took place to fill the vacancy as required by Provincial regulations.