Outstanding taxes: Remember all that discussion about the $1,044,000 that was outstanding in taxes back in early November. The stress that it was putting on the municipal cash flow. Forcing council to up the tax penalty from 21% to 52%, which would solve the problem by encouraging people to catch up fast.
Remember my comments on this issue check them out at:
http://crowsnestpasshome.blogspot.com/2011/12/property-tax-penalties-numbers.html
Council was informed at the G+P meeting on Jan 24 that surprisingly only 17% of those back taxes have been paid. (Check the numbers from any other year I would expect the 17% is very typical). There is still $870,000 outstanding and even more surprisingly 67% of that total is owed by Non-residential taxpayers.
Good News story, Economic update: This is what is so great about the Internet it is a great tool to communicate. On Councilor Gallant’s blog, he posts some very interesting information regarding all the exciting “new” businesses that have opened in the Pass since the beginning of his term.
Check it out for yourself at: http://briangallant.ca/wordpress/2012/01/23/celebrate-businesses-old-and-new/
Road Closure last week: Felt badly for anybody that was stranded in the Pass, I expected a much larger problem with our largest hotel shut down for the winter (50 rooms not available). Amazingly two things happened many people heading this way knew about the road conditions so did not come. Which was evident by the fact that there were still hotel rooms available at 8pm that night and as you can read in the Promoter’s editorial, today people pulled together and looked after those that needed assistance.
I thought Sparwood would have been much worse with the hundreds of miners trapped over there, but they did what the Pass and most communities do in these types of situations they pulled together.
http://www.elkvalleyherald.ca/index3.htm despite having much larger numbers of people trapped than we did, only 21 people had to sleep on a cot at the recreation centre.
Thunder in the Valley: This is Councilor Saindon’s project he stated this week that the committee would be meeting in council chambers on the 30th, with the RCMP. He also reported that the committee as now had three meeting and is moving forward; anybody that is interested is welcome to attend the meeting. In conjunction with that, Mayor Decoux started reading a letter from the Blairmore Fireworks committee requesting a meeting with council at the Blairmore Fire Hall, Mayor Decoux stated that if they wished to meet with council they could come as a delegation in front of council.
Sad to read that unless some new volunteers step forward there will not be a show and shine this year, I know many people including myself that really enjoyed that.
Stupid story of the week: I was confronted this morning by an older fellow who was really anger because somebody had “alleged” that previous council had spent $1 million moving the tenants from the Crowsnest Centre to the MDM. I asked him three things; one do you or anybody else have any kind of evidence to substantiate that number. Two was the source of this information the same one that “alleged” that we would lose our Food Bank and Education Consortium. Three this council is now entering its second budget process, it will have its second opportunity to put the funding in place if the centre is truly such a high priority for this community.
Cost of consultants: Sounds like we the taxpayers are going to receive this information on Councilor Gallant’s blog today in a response to a question about the cost of consultants he replies with the following:
“I do not know offhand how much we spent on consultants. We need to hire professionals for specific projects from time to time and I suspect it’s no higher than any other year. I believe we paid approximately $5,000 to have the Task Force document written but I could be wrong since I do not have the information here. There was also a small gift given to the members of the task force of approximately $200 each, and they had travel expenses covered by the municipality. All of this information will be available in March when we receive our audited financial statements. If you want it earlier, please contact Finance at the municipal office.
Stream lining of the municipal office: I hear through the grapevine that the new Director of Public Works, Engineering and planning will be commencing his duties shortly.
27 comments:
Dean I looked at that list on Gallants blog. Most of those businesses were here before the last election???
If I move my business is it a new business? If I sell my business is it a new business?
Will he take credit for the businesses that left? High Rock rental, Woods Travel I'm sure there is more thats just of the top of my head.
Or the business that they pushed away Dave Taggart.
What about P+H I hear they were looking for a location in the Crowsnest Pass!!!!!!!
I sure hope we do not loose Thunder in the Valley. I know it is a pain in the ass at times but it brings in a lot of money.
Will the municipality be doing T-shirts, hats, hoodies etc this year. Will they be collecting donations from the business community?
Jack
I find it very humourous that the new businesses listed in Brian Gallant's blog are not new at all but have been around for years and have only relocated. Only 3 of the 10 businesses listed are actually new!! Was this an attempt on his part to convince the taxpayers that "The Magnificent Seven" have actually accomplished something?
So the mayor is willing to meet with fireman on his terms only. I find this very interesting. The fireman put on Thunder in the Valley, if they decide to not put on the show,then what? Does the council rename it and pay someone else to come in and put on a show or does the fireworks just get cancelled. I am not saying that council should be kissing the firemans butts, but I am saying you had better be careful as to who you think you are.Thunder probaly brings in a million or more in sales over that weekend and the task force even recommended expanding it, so they better learn to work together.
I have never posted on here before and I have no interest in the political debates.
What I do have an interest in is the Rum Runner Days weekend.
Being a business owner in Blairmore, all I have to say is you can not imagine how critical the Rum Runner days weekend is to us.
Most businesses including myself are struggling here. To do anything that would in any way interfere with the one weekend we get a chance to make some real money. Would very clearly send the wrong message to the business sector and be devastating in it's impact.
To Council please be very care full in what you do.
Thanks
Outstanding Taxes:
Remember my comments on this issue (before yours :-) )...
http://blog.johnprince.ca/2011/12/wall-street-greed-comes-to-crowsnest.html
So the bottom line is non-residential taxpayers i.e. primarily River Run investors having already been victimized by this municipality wanting to not throw good money after bad did not pay their taxes again, leaving poor locals on the hook with Mafia type usury penalties.
Believing this issue to be politically charged and motivated morality went out the window, I suggest, to be replaced by pure reason that turned around and backfired, blowing up in their faces, and biting them in the ass, while at the same time turning those of us who were initially on their side (prior to this fiasco) into diehard advocates for their replacement. After all, any elected official who thinks so little of the poor in their own community as to treat them as cannon fodder in their quest to go after others are not the type of people I want to see representing all the people in this community. For obviously these people are in a class of their own, caring little for those not of their kind.
As I said before, you mark my words; this will be a one-term council. This Property Tax Penalty of theirs will hang around their collective necks like an albatross that will not go away. I personally will make sure of that! They can take that to the bank… unless of course, they rescind this abomination of a Bylaw.
JP
I love the way Gallant tippy toed around the question on consultants. $5000 here $200 there; no comments about the real numbers. I suspect Transitional Solutions is working for a little bit more than $5000.
Larry
I will not be upset to see the end of Thunder in the Valley. No more idiots drinking, pissing or sleeping on my back yard.
Try living two blocks from ISS.
12:26 That is such a lousy attitude think what it brings in to this community.
Anne
What the hell is a councillor (Emile) doing chairing the Rum Runner’s event? Is this the best use of councillor’s time, considering a municipal employee has typically handled this event in the past? Is this precedent setting? Do these people know nothing about “delegating”?
Are they (council) that desperate in that they couldn't find a local volunteer willing to do this job for fear (imagined or real) of reprisals, and therefore had to resort to one of their own to do it?
What's next, councillor's chairing the fishing derby, heritage festival, Bellecrest Days, etc., etc.?
JP
Why don't we just do the fireworks out at Passburg?
Let's face it this whole back tax thing was about increasing the municipalities bargaining position with the River Run investors.
If a few seniors or other folks on fixed income get caught up in it.
Oh well!
I think Larry’s comment needs to be expanded on.
Brain Gallant told Keith on his blog he does not know how much we are spending on consultants but “it’s no higher than any other year”. On the cost of the Task Force his recollection is quite a bit sharper… 5,000.00 for transcribing, 200.00 for gifts plus traveling cost reimbursements. The word on the street is we are paying Transitional Solutions Inc. (Kevin Robins Company) $1,000.00 a day per person with a budget of 100,000.00 to redo our safety bylaws. Is it true? I do not know but something smells when deals are done In Camera and the Councilors’ memory is a little foggy and can not answer Keith’s question straight up. Why was this contract not debated in the open and reported in the press? If it is an honorable deal it will withstand the scrutiny of being done in the open.
One more thing and please correct me if I am wrong. I do not recall this town ever hiring a consultant to rewrite our Bylaws. I think it is wrong for Gallant to lead us to believe this is a normal expense.
5:18 I agree with you 100% also keep in mind a decent CAO is probably making in the range of $130-150,000 a year.
We had a consultant sitting in the CAO position for close to half a year. We all know that consultants do not work for the same dollars has employees.
My guess is at least a $100,000 for that half year.
Council needs to make this information public to quell all the rumours.
What do they have to fear by telling us the truth?
Reflections on comment from 6:46 ...
I live close to one of the really ugly junkyard properties. Its a rental but the junkpile belongs to the landlord. I've gone several rounds with the municipality to get it cleaned up. In the last round I was assured that the NEW standards bylaw would solve everything.
Some consultant comes along and opines that this bylaw has flaws but he can fix it for a fee. Maybe what he says is true, but doesn't the town have a lawyer to provide an interpretation and perhaps draft an amendment if that is necessary?
Is Transitional Solutions a snake oil outfit? How do our Magnificent Seven Rubes decide on effective management? Its a mess and it is a consequence of ignorance and hubris. I don't wonder that meetings are held in secret where the foolishness of this crowd has a hope of being buried.
And all I want for me is to have the trash in yard next door hauled away. Why is that so difficult that we have to hire consultants to rewrite laws?
Gallant takes credit for the list of new businesses that have recently opened (or just changed address). Can he also publish a list of businesses that have closed and, for balance, take responsibility for these failures? How gullible does he think that we are?
I see NO political will to actually make this town a better place to live and work.
Not impressed at all with Gallant selective memory. Quit fooling around, tell us the real number on consultants.
Do I believe it will show in the financial statements? Not a chance financial statements do not show the cost of individual payables.
Anon @3:54
The same scenerio played itself out a few years back when the other mayor and his council threw out the poor from a trailer park in Coleman. Remember that?
Mayors and councillors here coming primarily from the elite have a track record of screwing the poor and little guy around here, don't they? While also taxing them heavily and providing them little to nothing, aside from basic services.
Not much to brag about, hey?
I hear that we are going to be paying Transtionial Solutions until at least June. That will be a full year. Lets keep in mind that bylaws, procedures, policies etc are all open to interpretation. There is no question another consultant could come in two years from now. Then find all kinds of problems with what the municipality has in place.
Remember when it comes to consultants, no problems means no work which means no payments. Pretty simple process.
Just took the time to read Saindon's blog I don't like what he has to say it does not make me very happy at all.
He sounds like he is a little pissed off about the lack of people stepping forward on the Thunder in the Valley stuff. Well he should keep in mind that over the last 20 years a lot of people have put in a "lot" of time and effort by voluntering to make that weekend a success. He should be careful, I helped out for 20 years does it now make me a bad person, somebody who lacks interest in the community, because I can't help the one year he has deceided to step forward?
M.T
Let's not forget it's Council that deceided to "change" the weekend.
Maybe not everybody wanted it changed.
I agree with Saindon all you people that think you can do things better step up. Don't be shy Mayor Decoux made it clear that council is in charge of the Rum Runner Days weekend.
All I have to say "it's about time"
Randy
I see no where on Gallant's blog where he "takes credit" for any new businesses, moreover he specifically states that they are from within 18 months, not his term. I read his post as a positive take on business here in the Pass - what's wrong with having a positive attitude for a change?
We should get excited about bussinesses moving from one location to another. Yahoo!
Next thing you know he will be putting on a positive spin due to some of the stores extending their hours for the Christmas break.
The beginning of an ecconomy recovery maybe?
Right now if I was Council I would be more concerned about fixing the problems with Thunder in the Valley after reading today's paper.
Jack
Anon Sat Jan 28, 06:57 wrote:
"Some consultant comes along and opines that this bylaw has flaws but he can fix it for a fee. Maybe what he says is true, but doesn't the town have a lawyer to provide an interpretation and perhaps draft an amendment if that is necessary?"
Our bylaws are so full of ambiguities, contradictions, omissions, undefined terms and broken grammar that nobody knows what they mean. I'm sure a consultant at TS Headquarters can fix these problems, but in the process they will have to make many decisions about what they should mean. They will pretty much be writing all new bylaws.
Will we get to see these before they are passed unanimously without discussion?
I thought making bylaws (in open meetings) was the #1 responsibility of Council, but this bunch has other priorities.
Coffee talk this morning with a guy that was at the Monday night meeting. Tells me that the province is not paying for the extra cops this year. That the whole weekend is going to cost somewhere in the realm of $150,000. He is optimistic that council will be bringing plans forward to greatly decrease that cost. I know the weekend is important but at that cost to the taxpayers?
Anon @9:10
Leave the cops at home and save a bundle. It's that simple. Besides they're usually the ones who cause the problems in the first place. It would be nice not having police helicopters flying around shining their lites, giving eveyone a sense of a 'police state'.
The local boys and groups handled things pretty darn good for many a year, without incident... and without state imposed goon squads 'charging us' for the priveledge of their 'protection'. Why don't they 'volunteer'? Well, now there's an idea!?
Jack @9:03
You took the words right out of my mouth. Couldn't agree with you more.
JP
JP, Leave the cops at home because they cause the problems is laughable.Putting 30,000 people together without a strong show of force is so dangereous, it is like a bomb waiting to explode.It would greatly increase drinking and drug use which leads to very bad decisions and eventually some big trouble. I beleive it is very dangereous as it is with all the cops in place, if you ever get a sitution started and not quickly brought under control you could easily have a riot sitution such as what happened in Vancouver.Of course JP would have you all beleive that was also the polices fault and not the criminals.
Honestly, I also went and read Emile Sandon's blog. I was very shocked that he was calling the people who elected him "ranters and ravers". He sounds like he is 10 years ago. He sounds very high handed and cannot believe he was elected. Maybe we should have "selective memory" when election time comes, and forget who they are.
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