The tail is still wagging the dog. Our municipal senior staff levels could probably easily be cut by two per cent without any noticeable inconvenience by taxpayers, and the grant requests of community organizations could be granted without any increase of taxes.
We are at a level where all our taxes go to feeding a beast that is insatiable. Our elected council must roll up their sleeves and cut out some of this fat and quit taking advice from the senior bureaucrats who have a vested interest in protecting the status quo. If you need any help making the cuts, get some of these people applying for grants to help you to recognize what is important and what is not. Don’t do stupid stuff like cutting back on the library or cutting plow operators; instead, get rid of a wagon full of senior people who are earning in excess of $100,000.
Ted Prior asks (smugly, I might add – no such comment was made when it came to his raise): “Are you willing to pay more property taxes?” I say: No, cut some of your top and you’ll have lots of money. This town was and is built on volunteerism, not bureaucrats.
The volunteer organizations’ requests for contributions probably haven’t changed much in 20 years. I and almost everyone in this community can tell you what has changed. At this pace, the municipality is going to destroy volunteerism as it will become too frustrating. The municipality believes its vision has created this community. Wrong. Almost all of the bad decisions that have happened (think Adventure Centre, new RCMP building and other examples you know) have been a bad vision of our council or bureaucracy.
The creation of the municipal government was intended to look after certain services and a necessary evil. Now it has become a monster that affects our existence and makes it extremely difficult for volunteer organizations to operate. I figure all the volunteer organizations could be funded in full with the elimination of a couple of senior bureaucrats. A truism states: “Where there is a shortfall to cover non-essential services, essential services will be cut.”
I have been told that most of this council is different, and same old same old isn’t good enough. Well this is where the pudding is tasted. They can talk the talk, but can they walk the walk?
Dave Colledge
Squamish
