Editor's note: This is a copy of a letter to Squamish's mayor and council.
With the exception of councillors Heintzman and Sander, the rest of you have been bamboozled and run over by staff at the DOS in regards to preserving sacred so-called "core services" to get to a budget with over a 10 per cent tax increase. This when inflation is running at 2 per cent.
The answer to a more reasonable tax increase lay before your very eyes, through most of your fruitless meetings to cut down the increase.
It was in the very people singing to you Group of Seven for the need for this increase: the senior managers themselves.
Get rid of at least half of them!
Reduce our staff costs to a more affordable level.
You could give virtually every senior manager the "pink slip" and the place would run fine, perhaps better.
The workers under them could then get on with working rather than reporting.
I speak from experience.
My Garibaldi Springs Course lost approximately $800,000 a year for eight years under the former owner from Hong Kong.
They had some 40 staff members, including a "manager" for everything. Little actual productive work was accomplished.
I re-opened the course recently with a staff of three and no managers for anything.
Place is running fine, people including the three staff are enjoying themselves and the place will not be losing money.
It is not too late for you to reverse your ill-fated budget decision.
Do it with no staff present. Can you really expect them to recommend a budget that eliminates most of their positions?
If you fail to do this, there will be a tax revolt and those of you who voted for this unsustainable tax increase will be off council in November 2014.
The voters of Squamish seem to relish kicking out council members on a whim.
This time, you will give them reason, delivered up to them on your silver platter of tax increases!
Have a nice DAY.
Douglas R. Day
Owner, Manager, Maintenance Superintendent, Chief Greens Keeper, Reservations Manager, Office Manager, Bookings Manager, Equipment Manager, Human Resources Manager, Accounting Manager, and a host of other jobs
Garibaldi Springs Golf Course
Squamish
