40 replies to this topic

[sebberry]

Victoria council considers service cuts, layoffs
Closed session held to map strategy to limit future hikes in property tax

Service cuts, including the possibility of layoffs, were part of the discussions Tuesday as Victoria city councillors met behind closed doors with senior city staff to map out a strategy to lower future tax increases.

The special session held at the Victoria Conference Centre was billed as a visioning exercise. Included in the room were heads of all departments including Police Chief Jamie Graham and Fire Chief Jeff Lambert.

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Read more: http://www.timescolo...l#ixzz1vikXE0YM


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[North Shore]

Victoria council considers service cuts, layoffs
Closed session held to map strategy to limit future hikes in property tax



Read more: http://www.timescolo...l#ixzz1vikXE0YM


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Running into financial headwinds are we? Bit of spending trouble - like on a bridge perhaps?

[R0ark]

It's a shame it's a closed session. I wanted to be able to see Dean squirm in front of CUPE members again, like he did when there was even a hint of losing union jobs as a result of the referendum on garbage collection that the council chose to ignore.

http://www.timescolo...6354/story.html

At least we can all look forward to seeing the City's spin doctors do what they do best when they announce that they weren't able to come up with any savings. It's going to take an epic PR campaign to help them sell their inability to cut anything out of their bloated budgets.

[Holden West]

I like the fact that the fire cheif was there at the closed-door session. Of course, that we have something like 3,493 fire chiefs in the CRD has no effect on payroll costs...

[AllseeingEye]

Um, didn't the CoV recently commit something like $200K to pimp this region to host the Juno's? So apparently they have the money to try and host some lame music awards show that 99% of Victorians could care less about but at the same time are talking potentially of having to make up the shortfall by laying off police personnel? Really?

Perhaps instead of taking cops off the street they could start by reviewing the sky high salaries and ludicrous raises granted to some of their senior managers in recent years - someone please remind me: how many people currently inhabit the City "Communications" department with an average salary of how much? Wow.

[G-Man]

How much was the Pandora redo? Hear there is a nice park going in at Fisherman's wharf only 1.2 million...

[Mike K.]

$500k.

[Bob Fugger]

$500k.

That was the budget for it. Any idea if it managed to stick to it?

[Mike K.]

Yikes, you know, I haven't a clue.

[Bingo]

Victoria council considers service cuts, layoffs
Closed session held to map strategy to limit future hikes in property tax

Read more: http://www.timescolo...l#ixzz1vikXE0YM
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City execs' salaries rise by up to 76% since 2007

Read more: http://www.timescolo...l#ixzz1ydi121mM

[Baro]

They'll end up laying off the people who actually do the work and keep the bloated over-paid managers and senior officials. Ah our "socialist" mayor. Screw the workers, feed the rich.

[Bob Fugger]

They'll end up laying off the people who actually do the work and keep the bloated over-paid managers and senior officials. Ah our "socialist" mayor. Screw the workers, feed the rich.

Fortin the Fatuous has a remarkable resemblance to the pigs from Animal Farm.

[spanky123]

City execs' salaries rise by up to 76% since 2007

Read more: http://www.timescolo...l#ixzz1ydi121mM

I find it incredible that City council is stunned at the relevations. Does nobody on council actually review what City execs get paid?

[http]

I find it incredible that City council is stunned at the relevations. Does nobody on council actually review what City execs get paid?

Yes - but unlike the front line staff, it's viewed as an investment, not an expense.

[Bingo]

I find it incredible that City council is stunned at the relevations. Does nobody on council actually review what City execs get paid?

I wonder if some of these salary increases will be attached to the Johnson Street Bridge project?

[Rob Randall]

This is scary. Stockton, California, with a population of nearly 300,000 is declaring bankruptcy.

Experts say there are no clear answers to what comes next for Stockton or how its fall will affect the rest of the state. Other cities hit hard by the housing bust and state budget crisis are negotiating with employee unions for concessions and are watching to see if municipal bankruptcy proves medicine or poison.

[Sparky]

^ Yikes......are we next?

[sebberry]

are we next?

Check back once our world class bridge has been built

[Sparky]

[Bernard]

This is scary. Stockton, California, with a population of nearly 300,000 is declaring bankruptcy.

Bankruptcies do not really happen here, I believe the last time this happened in BC was in the 1930s. I think Whitehorse may have declared bankruptcy in the 1970s.

Victoria is not close to bankruptcy but unless something is done now it could be there in ten years.