While I have the book in hand, I wish to copy something for your consideration.
The cover reads Capital Investment Plan 2013.
First para:
As a result of the concept of a singular "Cash to Capital" reserve allocation from tax levy, and the internal funding of capital coming from resultant "infrastucture" and other reserves, there is no direct impact of funding the capital budget . As such, the committee recommended capital budget is based on NEED rather than on funding issues.
Some projects proposed have a direct impact on operating costs and where applicable and significant, these are noted within each project'
______________________________________________
Link to Strategic Plan.
In preparation of this year's Capital Investment plan. staff considered the Town's Strategic Plan Vision. Goals and Objectives., particularly 1 and 2 of the Community Goal. ("Supporting an Exceptional Quality of Life ") and two objectives of he Natural Environmental Goal ("Supporting Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability")
Together these four objectives are:
-"Improve Transportation.Mobility and Connectivity"
-" Invest in sustainable Infrastructure"
-"Encourage the stewardship of Aurora's natural resources"
-"Promoting and Advancing Green Initiatives"
As a result, all Growth and New projects and Studies and Other projects include a statement of their link to the Strategic Plan . All
Repair and Replacement projects are in place to insure that existing infrastructure assets remain functional.
_____________________________
Back to me now:
I invite you to read the above critically. It is what I do. I'm not sure how other Councillors approach responsibility. Judging by the last two budgets, there may well be a difference.
Take the first sentence.
As a result of the concept of a singular "Cash to Capital" reserve allocation from tax levy, and the internal funding of capital coming from resultant "infrastructure" and other reserves, there is no direct impact of funding the capital budget.
It says because cash from taxes is allocated to a reserve account, when we spend it, it has no direct impact of funding thecapital budget.
That's like dipping a hand into the taxpayer's pocket, taking out every last penny in there, putting it into a tin box , then taking it out of the tin box to spend it, arguing it didn't come out of your pocket in the first place.
So it doesn't have an impact on the taxes you pay.
It's there in writing.
I am not making it up.
I look around the table for a glimmer of realisation of lack of reason .
I see none.
Month's were spent on $85,000 exercise of a twenty year Strategic Plan.
At the end, it was blithely adopted . Staff were ecstatic. Carte blanche was given to design budgets for the next twenty years to meet the Plan's lofty goals. Such as providing "an Exceptional quality of life to the community"
No matter other factors, like unemployment, under-employment or heavy family responsibilities such as a single-family parent might experience, town staff were authorised to blindly pursue esoteric
objectives which may or may not be relevant to people's lives.
"Ivory towers" has never been a more meaningful term.
No Council has ever more willingly divested itself so completely of authority to represent the people who voted them into office.
Saturday, 17 November 2012
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12 comments:
All were duly elected.
As were you.
If folks don't like how they meet their responsibilities they'll be replaced.
That's how the system works.
We should use some of this non-money that won 't be missed because it didn't exist in the first place to construct a medium security holding centre into which we could place for varying lengths of time those members of Council - Mayor/councillors as the case may be - and senior staff, who could consider repenting their ways while in the lock-up.
They would have access to outside exercise areas where at certain times members of the community could come and throw mature tomatoes and eggs at them.
Christopher has lift-off!
There is another strange concept that has been used. When a decision is made not to do a particular project, the money that might have been spent is moved into the ' saved ' column and becomes something over which to boast.
Creative book-keeping and semantics.
Sounds a lot like ' funding issues ' to me. Not NEEDS.
Taxpayers do understand needs. They have their own budgets with which to contend. And they surely can comprehend a reserve fund. Besides Evelyn, only Councillor Thompson appears to be capable of crunching numbers. There was a single instance of Councillor Gallo discovering a major book-keeping error but that appears to have been a fluke.
Best they all just consider that every single cheque written comes from the Town's assets. Perhaps that would be simple enough?
Thank you, 1:26 PM, for your completely constructive contribution to the conversation. You are a credit to this blog.
Why shouldn't we aspire to an "Exceptional Quality of Life" here in Aurora?
CBC News announces 10,980 federal jobs have been cut to assist with the budget.
Balance that with: Aurora COA declares that more staff are required, the conditions for staff must be improved in the Town Hall and that the problems with the audit had to do with inadequate staffing. The Management Team have examined their section of the budget and can find no further cuts to be made.
Now, tell, me, who is living in the real world?
Neat. You take from Paul to give to Peter without making a difference in the bottom line. Doesn't work for me but it sounds good.
And there I was thinking the council meeting was boring except for Ballard's legalistic nonsense. Thank you.
I was concerned the nasty thing might be ill but see it here in 2 comments three minutes apart. All is well.
3:48 PM That was really lame. Has Maureen Dowd's writing intimidated you?
Thank you for the compliment 3:45 PM.
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