| Location | Salary | Benefits |
Total |
Population |
| Town of Pincher Creek | 90150 | 22793 | 112943 | 3685 |
| MD of Pincher Creek | 127138 | 3118 | 130256 | 3158 |
| Town of Cardston | 99541 | 20386 | 119927 | 3580 |
| Town of Milk River | 80,000 | 5302 | 85,302 | 811 |
| Town of Nanton | 92706 | 22977 | 115683 | 2132 |
| Town of Strathmore | 163403 | 26185 | 189588 | 12352 |
| Town of Coaldale | 116567 | 22946 | 139513 | 7493 |
| Crowsnest Pass | 150675 | 26697 | 177372 | 5565 |
| County of Lethbridge | 168354 | 31657 | 200011 | 10061 |
| MD of Bighorn #8 | 109803 | 19449 | 129252 | 1341 |
| County of Wheatland | 165000 | 26111 | 191111 | 8285 |
| MD of Willow Creek | 147000 | 28975 | 175975 | 5107 |
| City of Brooks | 162277 | 33554 | 195831 | 13676 |
Note: Cost of administration $4325 per day |
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Cost of Bureaucracy (CAO comparisons)
We have spoke a lot on this blog about our expanded bureaucracy in the Crowsnest Pass. There are always two questions, is the size of our bureaucracy necessary and is it sustainable. Looking at the most accessible information (municipalities are required to post their CAO's compensation levels in their financial statements). Below I have posted the information from 13 communities including the Crowsnest Pass to keep it relevant I only used communities from Southern Alberta. I looked at about 20 communities but some of them make finding the information on their web site very difficult. Any way this is how we compare to 12 other towns, counties in our area.
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44 comments:
Again, you act as a scribe only raising a subject while failing to say anything. Do you have an opinion here? If so, what is it?
Many of the problems we find ourselves in, including the petition, stem from the rookie status of our CAO.
He is not able to communicate to our Mayor that he answers to the municipal council as a whole, and not to the Mayor personally.
This is very apparent to everyone who had any dealings with this administration. Again, the blame goes to the councilors who are unable to see the difference.
To anon3:26. It is Dean's way of bringing out the facts to let us know what is going on and for us to give our opinions. What is yours, besides critisizing someone that is doing the digging.
4:09
"It is Dean's way of bringing out the facts to let us know what is going on and for us to give our opinions."
So what you are saying is Dean doesn't have to have an opinion? Oh, I see. How convenient. Talk about a potential councillor sitting on the fence not taking a position while broaching a given subject of his choosing while attacking someone who questions this, and you think this is okay? Doesn't take much to please you, now does it?
It is interesting when one looks at your figures for the town of Pincher and the MD of Pincher. This chart doesn't even reflect the total cost of our bureaucracy and the chain that they created beneath our administration. None of these other small towns would ever come close to the big city setup that we will be paying for.
On the lighter side. Why doesn't Bruce take note of these figures and start the process to annex the MD of Pincher Creek? Maybe promise them savings of $130K in COA costs, administration costs and fire suppression savings as their fire dept. would become redundant.
(The fire response from Coleman would be just down the road.)
It may be a great improvement to our tax base and cushion the shock if any impending debt.
I hear that there are proven gravel reserves in that MD.(Wind turbines and linear taxation. YA!) Do it quickly Bruce! You have only a few weeks left.
Someone really had no investment in the CNP and should leave their sandbox to enjoy Arizona.
I would think from reading my blog that it is fairly apparent where I stand on the issue of bureaucracy. 4:48 no fence sitting here go back over the last two years of posts and you will see that my position is very consistent.
Dean Ward
Anon 3:26, Your comments show that you are a very maladjusted person. You need help, maybe an attitude adjustment is the answer.
03:26
Don't you think that you and I would find it admirable when someone posts another person's comments that may be dissenting or asking for an opinion or to take a position. Some other bloggers may just dump posts, ostracize 'anonymous' posts, or decide to go on a 'hiatus' when faced with the exact same questions.
:)
Some troll should extend his hiatus.
By Dean's previous post, I can se he isn't taking the bait.
What qualities do we want our next council to be comprised of?
3:26 here
Oh, how the venom oozes on this blog when a simple question is asked of your fearless leader. Do you have these guys are retainer, Dean? Why didn't you simply answer the question or state an opinion? I guess subterfuge is more your style while hiding behind your friends who do your dirty work for you. Get a pair next time and do your own dirty work, why don't you. Instead of getting your friends to do it for you.
p.s. I challenge readers here to go through Dean's blog and see how many are like this one i.e. fence sitting with no comment or position taken.
Everybody knows our CAO is making to much money, so what is your point? Just stirring the pot, are we?
06:06,
"p.s. I challenge readers here to go through Dean's blog and see how many are like this one i.e. fence sitting with no comment or position taken."
Umm...probably none? But with the long weekend coming up why don't you relax and go camping? I will lend you a tent which I hope you will utilise. No need to return the tent. Consider it a hiatus extension.
5:22
Talk about being a maladjusted person? Look in the mirror 'anonymous'? While you are at it bring your twin (5:22 also) with you and you both can have an enjoyable time talking to yourself. :-)
5:29
A simple question was asked and its a 'bait trap'. Join your friends above in that closet of yours you all share with Dean, your fearless leader who resorted to all this when asked a simple question by 3:26. Heaven forbid he and the rest of you are ever asked anything more challenging. What will you do and resort to? :-0
No fencing sitting here my position now and always will be the more slimmed down your administration the better. Part of the point of this post is to make very clear the bureaucratic monster that has been created here is not sustainable. If the CAO is at $180,000 the second tier (Directors) are not going to be more than $50-60,000 behind. Times that by three
Dean Ward
You put populations on your chart, and if my math is correct, based on this there are six CAO's making more than ours.
We don't need 4 $100.000+ execs justifying their existence by pretending to enact policy and save us money.
We need to be presented with the numbers. To make our own choices and to let council use their best judgement on using the same numbers to govern efficiently. With a 'small town' government any mistakes (and there will always be some) will not be crippling.
With proper, transparent, numbers a community and a council can asses their position and capitalise on their assets.
Dean is doing us a service with his research and posting of numbers. It could make a difference in the way that even one person "sitting on the fence" votes.
Dean, your position on this bloated bureaucracy is clear and appreciated. The numbers speak for themselves.
And to think that our CAO doesn't work anywhere near as hard as others listed since he has a Mayor telling him what to do. Thought that Bruce pushed the Cuff Report with it's issues on micro managing in his election platform.
Now a certain, upcoming, Russell Farmer report will most certainly be parked right next to it on the same shelf.
Congratulations on establishing your legacy. Let's call it the Decoux library.
The manner in which the CAO was chosen -- the interim consultant CAO and mayor coached and hand picked him as they plotted the reorg of the fire and admin department -- makes it all the more interesting why we are paying that salary..
7:05,
Your observations are very astute.
Just think about a Mayor telling a CAO what the 'next' policy is and with over $300,000/yr worth of newly hired subordinates providing input in order to justify their own positions. I think that a lot of those other CAOs are able to perform their duties in a more cost efficient way.
Not even inferring that our CAO is nothing but a puppet, but there are also three new clowns in the circus providing high priced input below him. Isn't it time to end the bureaucracy and return to a resemblance of a small and effective town governance?
Dean, is our CAO still living in Sylvan Lake? The rumor I heard was that he couldn't sell his house???
3:36 here
No wonder the opinions here on this blog are always so similar and unanimous, you squash dissenting opinions or any comments that are critical of you personally, as you did yesterday with my comment by not publishing it.
However, it seems you, Mike and your friends are good at going to your fellow blogger doing to him what you don't allow here while hypocritically criticizing him for doing exactly what you practice yourself here, by way of censorship.
You are nothing but a shameless intriguer and a coward!
3:36 What comment are you talking about? Who's Mike? Which friends? which fellow blogger? what is being done to my fellow blogger?
Intriguer and coward, give me a call at 563-4128 would love to have a chat with you about any of this stuff
Dean Ward
Someone made a good point: "thank goodness they spent the last two and a half years on policy," this is very true, policy work is their sand box.
The bigger problem to solve will be how to get some productive work from Bruce's executive and protective services teams. Here we need someone like Dean to dig out the numbers and put them side by side.
It is a very safe bet that none of the current councilors have seen any of the numbers in a clear presentation.
You can't fix stupid but you can vote it out..... just be careful you don't vote more back in, by voting in old boy elites/Ratepayer types.
3:36 keep her coming we will find out real quick what kind of back bone you have. Give Dean a call deal with it like a man.
1:09 do you really think we could do any worse than the last three years?
1:30 Going backwards is not moving forward. I don't want the Irwin days again and everything they represent, sorry! Ratepayer candidates would take us back in time and that is not where I want to go. If this community really thinks about it it isn't where they probably want to go either.
anon 1:40 I agree with you. I don't know what scares me more Decoux/Gallant or Blair/Dean and Ratepayer candidates. Either way it seems like similar sides of the same coin. Disaster!
Someone just keeps pitchin em. I really wouldn't sit by the phone waiting for his call.
Mike
So 1:40 and 1:59 who or what are you advocating for? It almost sounds like you are steering us dimwits to a "middle of the road candidate". I think the focus of this post should return to the "COST OF BUREAUCRACY" either you support what our Council is presently doing or you do not. Either position is fine just take one on this issue.
2:13 "middle of the road candidate".
Makes sense to me considering what the alternatives are.
So who are these "middle of the road candidates"?
I am very confused by these comments from people saying that the Ratepayers will bring us back to the bad ol Irwin days.If you have been around here any length of time you would know that the ratepayers were started in response to the stuff that was going on under the former mayor and there goal has always been to keep TAXATION at a reasonable level and live within our means. It seems that an other bloger has his nose out of joint because he hasn't been handed the brass ring and is lashing out at every one, not easy to get elected when you knock most of the constituants.
6:01
"It seems that an other bloger has his nose out of joint because he hasn't been handed the brass ring"
So Blair Painter was handed the "brass ring" after all by the Ratepayers is what you are saying.
Maybe this other blogger doesn't want to get elected and wants to make sure certain others don't either, especially if they are just going to being our community down, being the hypocritical self-serving types that they are.
I haven't seen any endorsement of anyone by the ratepayers and I am not sure how anyone can being our community down. But starting battles and excluding others is a recipe for disaster. What has to be realized by people is that the enemy if you will, is the present council and our CAO and some of the others in that office in coleman
Regarding the following:
If you have been around here any length of time you would know that the ratepayers were started in response to the stuff that was going on under the former mayor ....
What. No ratepayers association for the last council, last I heard.
To the comments regarding the ratepayers effectiveness. Do any of you people remember where the council/admin was going on the franchise fees issue? Their intent was to increase the fees to the maximum rates allowed. Until the out cry from the ratepayers. That alone saved the taxpayers almost $400,000 a year. If you use Bruces math over 10 years put in a bank account with compounding interest that will leave $5 million in the taxpayers pockets.
Just that one issue made the ratepayers worth while.
All of this bad mouthing anybody that is opposed to the Magnificent Seven won't mean squat in less than 3 months.
Remember this: http://emilesaindon.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/a-new-era/
Quote: If you have been around here any length of time End of quote.
Could you be any more condesending.
Man. Who really cares. Everyone has a vote and a voice, no matter how long they have lived here. You must be very elderly/mean and set in your ways to say something like that.
Not old or mean just tired of the twisting of the motives of a group that was formed to try and bring sanity back to this area. And yes they were formed long before this council so that means things were not perfect before.
4:20,
EXACTLY! Each resident has only one voice. That has always been the principal that drives our democratic system.
The issue is mute as any new resident's opinion is always welcome and is necessary to any town's evolution.
There we go - 'new resident'.
Awesome. That is all that is needed.
Whoa! The old and new resident bit was in reference to the historical perspective of the ratepayers. Let's not twist this all about and start the usual war of the classes, groups etc etc. Let's keep the eye on the target date Oct 21. Everyone is affected by the decision making of the present mayor/council/administration.
Any bets a lot of the comments made here are from the mayor's plan of redemption created by the PR firm. Lots of CYA going on. Or is it the HR study mentioned or the Inspector's report likely seen by his worship. Typical BS before an election especially this one.
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