674 replies to this topic

[Lorenzo]

You want to see a "fat" Public Works Dept. you only have to look at Colwood. No matter what they're doing, there's 9 guys doing it.

[Victoria Watcher]

The municipal watchdog Grumpy Taxpayer$ has filed a formal complaint with the City of Langford council and its auditor arguing its financial plan format is substandard.

The 2023-27 Five-year Financial Plan consists of a 46-page financial printout that's excessively confusing and complicated for most taxpayers. It's a critical document for the successful management of a municipality and the only financial plan of its kind that we know of.

"The hallmarks of good governance are both accountability and transparency," says John Treleaven, chair of Grumpy Taxpayer$.

"Neither are helped, only obscured, by giving the taxpayer an acre of numbers to try and figure out. Most of us aren't accountants or financial officers.

"Council inherited this inadequate approach from the last administration. We urge the current council to update this process so its more complete, less complex and similar to all other municipalities. In our view the current approach already does not instill public confidence in local government as required in the new council code of conduct for Langford.

A separate seven-page document of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) does not compensate for an inadequate and substandard financial plan. It's clearly not designed for public consumption or involvement or understanding.

The Community Charter - the underlying provincial legislation governing municipalities - is clear under Section 7 that the purpose of a municipality is "to provide good government" and "provide stewardship for its public assets."

The financial obligations or operational plans of Langford are not readily apparent or discernible by the way it chooses to write a five-year financial plan, Treleaven says. "It's urgent that this document be upgraded."

This formal complaint to council and its auditor about the financial affairs of Langford is filed pursuant to Section 172 of the Community Charter.

[lanforod]

"Council inherited this inadequate approach from the last administration"

 

In case anyone misses it, this seems to have been Stew's practice. I wonder how much mismanagement, efficiencies, and whatnot might be uncovered if the financial plan were redone using standard methodologies.

[Victoria Watcher]

Why doesn’t the province legislate a certain level of practice?

[Mike K.]

It’s not that it needs to be vetted for impropriety, inasmuch as it’s just difficult for the layperson to understand when in a professional format.

Have a look at your official tax submission. It’s a jumbled mess of numbers. The cover sheet explains it nicely.

Now on the flip side, the cover letters can also draw your attention away from numbers that someone might not want you to look at.

[lanforod]

It’s not that it needs to be vetted for impropriety, inasmuch as it’s just difficult for the layperson to understand when in a professional format.

Have a look at your official tax submission. It’s a jumbled mess of numbers. The cover sheet explains it nicely.

Now on the flip side, the cover letters can also draw your attention away from numbers that someone might not want you to look at.

 

Just based on the article VW posted, it sounds like that is the only financial plan they have. Which tells me it may very well need to be vetted.

[Mike K.]

It was vetted by the undersigned chartered accountant. Grumpy might be getting a little excited here, but they’re not alleging impropriety.

[lanforod]

Might be some folks aren't so trusting of Langford's choices when it comes to professionals lately .

[JohnsonStBridge]

It was vetted by the undersigned chartered accountant. Grumpy might be getting a little excited here, but they’re not alleging impropriety.

 

This is false. The Financial Plan was not 'vetted' by a chartered accounted. And while budgets are not typically subject to vetting by a independent auditor, it sounds like the Grumpy Taxpayers are arguing it would stand to benefit from a review to improve its presentation in a more digestible format (whether by internal staff or a external accountant). 

[Mike K.]

Oh yeah, I guess it wasn’t. I supposed the report would be checked by KPMG like the other financials were/are.

[Mike K.]

Awkward.

[Mike K.]

Drama from yesterday.

Stirling thinks there is some confusion, as the member of the public has been the focus of fake accounts purporting to be her, so “likes” or other messages someone might think originated from a vocal member of the public might actually have been written by a fake account.

One day, hopefully in our lifetimes, AI will be smart enough to detect brand new accounts with similar or identical names and account handles joining discussions in the sphere of the person their emulating. Maybe when we develop technology to go to Mars computers will be smart enough to not allow fake accounts to join conversations where the real account has any sort of presence or shares followers.

[amor de cosmos]

what's the source for those posts? aren't there links?

Edited by amor de cosmos, 23 June 2023 - 07:41 AM.

[Mike K.]

The source? They’re Twitter posts. They’re on Twitter 🥸

Just run the handles then search under that handle.

[Victoria Watcher]

[Lorenzo]

screenshot-twitter.com-2023.06.26-09_39_24.png

He just can't help himself!

[Mike K.]

Why does this bother you so much, Lorenzo?

That’s not the general feedback from listeners. People are enjoying the digging and the deep dive. It’s not commonly what the public is exposed to, and the listenership is part of an ongoing saga. People love that sort of thing.

You’ve got to think that they would not be doing what would be harming ratings. And don’t forget, they even gave him an extra hour.

A summer by-election turnout that is bigger than a municipal election turnout is big news. People responded to the changes on council and sent a strong message to the Greens. It’s over for them in that riding, it looks like.

[Victoria Watcher]

 

 

[amor de cosmos]

based on previous comments, whatever adam said was probably rage farming but with no context i can't say for sure. i don't have a google or twitter account so i can't look up counsellor wagner's comment, the rcmp liaison thing, what questions were asked during that council debate.... that post contains virtually no information except that adam is upset about something langford council did, which by now doesn't seem to mean anything

Edited by amor de cosmos, 20 July 2023 - 08:56 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

 

https://twitter.com/...841965413265914