The Road Less Travelled

I'm Not Surprised has left a new comment on your post "The Path Not Chosen":

You chose not to participate; are you really in a position to bitch about the result

Posted by I'm Not Surprised to Our Town and Its Business at 5 October 2013 22:18

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I am participating....Silly.

I am not bitching about the result. 

Time  allocated to  Councillors to  speak in  Monday's workshop would certainly not  have been adequate to deal with the  report  as I have in several blog posts.

Nine people  at the table needing to be accommodated. Everyone entitled to their moment in the sun. 

The Mayor invited questions. We were informed we could continue to direct questions to the consultants after the meeting . They would be addressed in the final  report. 

In any case, I have  no questions. I  challenge the  purpose and merit of  the exercise. 

In essence,  the report concludes the community is satisfied with services provided. There is no concern with  cost of service. 

Costs are higher in Aurora than municipalities of similar size and structure because  our level of service is higher . Like taking  10 kms longer an hour for snow plowing than  Newmarket.

The only area where costs can be reduced  according to the consultants, is in recreation. Even though it's the only area where costs are recovered by payment of user fees and facility rentals.

The service has been identified by the admiistration as "discretionary" and can therefore be cut completely.

Over $ 7million  for fire protection and over $4. million for library services are not included in the calculation of gross operating cost per capita .

$ 980. for every man,woman,child, infant and elderly person for services the town provides without fire protection and library services.

Add  the two and the real cost would likely be $1250 . per capita. Far beyond any comparator  municipality.

Utter nonsense to suggest  level of service might be the culprit.

My obvious conclusion is we are doing a lousy job of managing  resources.

That  cost is horrendous. And it does not include taxes for the Region and Education purposes. It's only a third of the whole.

I think it's a scandal.

Would  consultants  put that  comment in a report paid for by the client.

Not bloody likely.

Take the Planning Dept, two  bodies are assigned to retention and expansion of business.
How do they do that? The report states 100/150 visits are made to business annually.

Pshaw. no such thing.

In a  public  meeting , the manager was asked and replied he did not consider meeting with business to be his function. It's  difficult to  identify how the function  leads to either expansion  or retention of business.

The latest proposal from that division is for Council  to put their hands in our pockets for funds to provide grants and loans to property-owners in  a particular  neighborhood to help them spruce up their properties and  theoretically and automatically succeed in business.

In the CAO's department, there's a division for " special projects"  It's not traditional. Just started this year.  No purpose specified  but cost is $150,000.

The consultant finds no room there for savings because the administration deems the service to be "mandatory"

Whereas recreational programs , deemed to be "discretionary"  could be cancelled to save cots.

Notwithstanding the contra- indices of such high use  and popularity as to bring in millions  of dollars in user fees and facility rentals that cover their costs.

I  have no questions to ask.

Instead, except for providing information that refutes its own conclusion,  I think the report is  absolute bunkum.

How'd you like them apples  of participation?

Need I say more.

You betcha