1174 replies to this topic

[Stephen Andrew]

Stephen Andrew maybe you could answer a question for me . Under Helps did she activate mandatory yearly payment out of property taxes to First Nations. If so was this to increase substantially with no ability to cancel year after year or is it amount that is paid out still relatively small .
Would this be one reason for the property tax increase .

The initiative was a Helps-Alto move.

It was presented as a yearly contribution, basically committing future councils.

However, council of the day can change any bylaw or budget allocation.

Would they? Highly unlikely, as it would definitely be presented as “anti-indigenous”. That interpretation would be ridiculous, but any change to the plan would be seen negatively.

I prefer reparation projects that bring us together and further relationships.

As to if this is responsible for a tax increase? Short answer: Yes.

The push back on that position may be “the money comes new revenue”, but consider “new revenue” is one of the revenue sources that is traditionally used to reduce tax increases, initiate new
Services or expand existing programs.

[Stephen Andrew]

The previous council decided to cancel the national anthem during fireworks and replace it with a FN song. The living flag was cancelled, apparently because it was too difficult this time to organize, and council had planned to cancel the fireworks only to bow to public pressure.

Actually, as I remember the discussion,
Lisa Helps took the position that fireworks would not be appropriate as - in her opinion - they could be seen by the Local Nations as inappropriate.

At that point in time, no one had spoken to the indigenous communities.

However, when asked, the Nations were supportive of the fireworks. I sat on the committee and was never informed that First Nations asked for the Canadian National Anthem to be removed from the show - that appeared to come straight from Helps.

Edited by Stephen Andrew, 02 May 2023 - 07:50 PM.

[Stephen Andrew]

FYI - the committee was Helps, Alto, Dubow and myself. Though I really saw it as “a committee of one”

Edited by Stephen Andrew, 02 May 2023 - 07:53 PM.

[Love the rock]

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question I wasn’t sure if I remembered all the facts .I also want to thank you for your common sense attitude in serving the people of Victoria.

[Nparker]

When a country loses the ability to sing its national anthem, the enemy has won.

[dasmo]

We should adopt France’s national anthem!

[spanky123]

When a country loses the ability to sing its national anthem, the enemy has won.

 

You can still sing it, you just have to feel ashamed when you do!

[spanky123]

The push back on that position may be “the money comes new revenue”, but consider “new revenue” is one of the revenue sources that is traditionally used to reduce tax increases, initiate new
Services or expand existing programs.

 

There seem to be 2 sources of 'unlimited' cash that gets spent a few times over each year. The first is new assessed revenue and the second is the budget surplus. 

 

If you think about it logically, new assessed revenue should be going towards police, fire, amenities, etc - the areas where costs more or less increase in correlation to growth and simple inflation increases don't work. 

 

IIRC, the CFO stated recently that there were 130 open positions at the CoV. Sounds to me like that is where your 'surplus' comes from and is as much of a slush fund as it is anything to do with operations. Nevertheless, a good portion of those funds should be going to fund reserves but they seem to get redirected in recent years to pet projects and grants to social justice groups and quasi-political organizations. 

Edited by spanky123, 03 May 2023 - 07:52 AM.

[Nparker]

I feel zero shame or guilt for anything I was granted at the time I was born in Canada.

[dasmo]

I feel zero shame or guilt for anything I was granted at the time I was born in Canada.

Shame on you!

[Stephen James]

FYI - the committee was Helps, Alto, Dubow and myself. Though I really saw it as “a committee of one”

Stephen,

 

Anyone who sat to (attempt to) collaborate with Mayor Helps quickly learned she has no tools for that. She literally vibrates in front of you if offer a dissenting opinion, even based in fact. It looked to me like her out of control anxiety is what causes her to serially interrupt, makes it impossible for her to hear, and steamroll every important meeting. She clearly struggles with males.

 

Alto appears the same (deaf and disinterested) only more devious, with less courage to air her controversial opinions, and 0 understanding of how to make beneficial change happen.

 

Their selfishness is manifest in community behaviour. We know the two of them don't give a crap about most of us, so we don't care about their bizarre decisions. I predict less compliance to everything from responsible waste disposal to vehicle speeds.

 

It's a very old saw in leadership:

"I don't care about what you have to say, unless I think you care about me."

This is also a core understanding of how to make beneficial change happen: If you aren't perceived to lead with an even hand, you don't have the credibility, and change doesn't happen.

 

I'm ashamed of these people and the example they make for all of us. Our youth deserve real leaders, not this selfish, anxious "anything-goes-cause-we're-doing-the-work-of-the-righteous" group. I don't see any, anywhere right now who are "ambitious for the community, more than for themselves."

[Stephen James]

There seem to be 2 sources of 'unlimited' cash that gets spent a few times over each year. The first is new assessed revenue and the second is the budget surplus. 

 

If you think about it logically, new assessed revenue should be going towards police, fire, amenities, etc - the areas where costs more or less increase in correlation to growth and simple inflation increases don't work. 

 

IIRC, the CFO stated recently that there were 130 open positions at the CoV. Sounds to me like that is where your 'surplus' comes from and is as much of a slush fund as it is anything to do with operations. Nevertheless, a good portion of those funds should be going to fund reserves but they seem to get redirected in recent years to pet projects and grants to social justice groups and quasi-political organizations.  reserves?

 

Why reserves?

This is one of the worst examples of governance in public admin. Sure, it's become standard practice, but to someone who worked with budgets in the private sector for decades, they're a joke. All the contingencies proposed could be simply managed with real, mature guardrails, but no. They're commonly used for gifts and friends, as opposed to helping the community.

 

And so much worse, when you have a provincial party cruelly manipulating low turnout municipal elections, they also become a tool for ideological redistribution. This choice at the municipal level is selfish and disgusting, lacks any critical thinking about jurisdiction, nation-building, and creates unnecessary division, to suit selfish people and their friends. 

 

Shame on the NDP for this choice, and shame on BCU if they do the same.

[spanky123]

^ Why reserves? So we don't have to come up with $40M in one year to pay for a firehall as an example!

[mbjj]

I like the bit above about less compliance, lol. Whenever I pass one of the gizmos that tells me how fast I'm going, I speed up. I drive diagonally over speed bumps and don't slow down. I throw all sorts of crap in the garbage. I purposely drive down small residential streets because the main thoroughfares have been blocked and I'm not going to use the city's alternative suggestions. It's the only way to say "screw you" to city hall these days. 

[Stephen James]

^ Why reserves? So we don't have to come up with $40M in one year to pay for a firehall as an example!

 

If coming up with $40mm for a firehall is a surprise, we need real management.

I absolutely agree with an account to save for specific items.

 

If there are no specific items, it's bad management and terrible financial governance. ST borrowing is just as good for emergencies, and leaves the money in people's pockets where it belongs.

 

This slush fund culture in local politics is part of why we're losing interest, and admins are losing credibility.

Edited by Stephen James, 05 May 2023 - 08:59 AM.

[spanky123]

Each of the reserve funds has a specific purpose.

[Stephen James]

Each of the reserve funds has a specific purpose.

I guess we'll agree to disagree about what specific would mean in prudent financial management.

 

In my experience writing, analyzing, editing, strategizing financial planning almost none of those accounts pass a smell test and, even worse, I gave up on the supposed "rules" when I saw every single one of them (until I stopped looking) broken.

Our tax money is not well stewarded.

[Stephen James]

Each of the reserve funds has a specific purpose.

What is the specific purpose of the "contingency/slush fund(s)" from which the following would be drawn? (this took me 2 minutes so I'm guessing there's a lot more.)

 

6. Direct staff to allocate $50,000 to Our Place Society for extending their operating hours and $50,000 for their

storage program from surplus?

 

7. Direct staff to extend the Pandora Caretakers program until December 31st, 2023 at the cost of up to $80,000 from an application to the provincial government, or if unsuccessful, then from surplus and/or contingency

 

9. Direct staff to prepare the necessary financial and legal agreements to provide the Safety Initiative Reimbursement Agreement with an additional $65,000, to be taken from the contingency budget, that can be utilized any time prior to December 31, 2024

[Victoria Watcher]

A consultant’s report that suggested a number of changes for the way Victoria council and city hall operate will be front and centre July 26, when council gets an update on the progress made in tackling the report’s 30 recommendations.

 

On Thursday, council asked city staff to present an update on the Governance Review Report in late July.

 

The 78-page report by accounting and business consultancy firm MNP was delivered to the previous council in late July last year. It included recommendations touching on everything from the role of the mayor and council to financial ­remuneration for elected officials, a proposed code of conduct and how committees should function.

 

 

https://www.timescol...-summer-6990329

[Victoria Watcher]

Cap Daily:

The City of Victoria has adopted its $300M operating budget for 2023, along with $180M in capital projects, after a process that had council attempting to balance its rising costs from inflation with its residents’ rising cost of living. The budget will see a 6.15% increase for residents and non-industrial businesses, down from what was originally about 9%.