Showing posts with label Claims versus Facts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Claims versus Facts. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

CNP Claims vs Facts

CLAIM:
Sept 16/2013 - Dean Ward in press release to Pass Herald:
"Smaller government, we now employ more administrators than the Crowsnest Pass has ever 
had previously...with a staff of less than fifty employees, do we really need nine administrators, 
when you add up all the salaries, benefits, vehicles, cell phones, computers etc… we will be 
spending in excess of $1.2 million a year."
FACT:
The Municipal Inspection Report indicates clearly that Crowsnest Pass has a completely normal 
number of administrators. One administrative position is the Deputy Fire Chief, which is a term 
contract that is paid by the Province in order to assist with training of Fire Department members. 
The $1,200,000 is a fabricated number based on several assumptions and guesses.
Currently Administration consists of CAO, CFO, Director of Operations, Director of Protective 
and Community Services (Vacant), Operations Manager, EDO, Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief 
(term contract paid by Province) - that is 7 permanent and 1 temporary.
While Dean Ward was on council they had CAO, CFO, Director of Operations, Director of 
Community Services, Director of Legislative and HR Services, Public Works Superintendent, 
Assistant Public Works Superintendent - that's 7.
Dean's Comments

Let's get to the facts I stated the following "we now employ more administrators than the Crowsnest Pass has ever had previously" can anybody including Mrs Rudegon argue that fact?. 
I stated "with a staff of less than fifty employees" is this inaccurate? 
I stated "do we really need nine administrators" is this inaccurate? we have a CAO,CFO, Director Of Protective and Community Services, Director of Engineering and Public Works, a Superintendent of Public Works, Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief, EDO and at the time of publishing my comment they were advertising for an HR person. 
I stated "when you add up all the salaries, benefits, vehicles, cell phones, computers etc… we will be spending in excess of $1.2 million a year."
Two representatives of the ratepayers met with the CAO just prior to Christmas of 2012 where they asked for the salaries of administration. They were told that the CAO made $160,000 last year which was later confirmed in the municipal financial statement. He also stated that the Directors were in the $105-120,000 a year range. Ken Robins informed everybody at the open house on the restructuring of the Fire/Rescue Departments that a fire chief would be paid $95,000 a year. 
The full time Firemen were being paid $6,000 a month that works out to $72,000 a year it would be reasonable to expect that a Deputy would make somewhere in the middle of the Firemen and Fire Chief let's pick $85,000. EDO and HR person you would be dreaming to get either of those people for less than a $100,000 a year. 
Do the math:
CAO                    $160,000
CFO                    $105,000
Dir P+C              $105,000
Dir E+PW          $105,000
Fire Chief           $95,000
Deputy Chief     $85,000
Supt PW            $85,000
EDO                  $100,000
HR                    $100,000

Total Salaries   $940,000 which is also assuming that all of the directors are at the low end of their scale. 

On top of this the municipality allows an additional 25% to cover of the costs of benefits which would drive up the total to $1.175,000. Now some will argue that the deputy fire Chief is paid for by the province, that will not go on forever. For arguments sake let's take his salary and benefits out, that would drop the number to $1,069,000. Is it possible to provide to this group of administrators computers, phones, training, travel, etc etc for less than $130,000 a year? 

Then the comparisons on number and the claim that when I was on council we had seven administrators at one time, well back then I argued just as I am now that we didn't need that size of an administration so let's look at where administration was when my last term was finished.

Below is the information put out by the Municipality in response to the ratepayers petition drive notice the number under administration on Oct 2010?. 

  Municipal Fact:
- Wages for Hourly positions are driven by the negotiations of the Union Collective Agreement while Management wages are set based on surveys assembled and distributed to municipalities by AAMDC (Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties) and AUMA (Alberta Urban Municipalities Association).
- In 2011 a new Corporate structure was established that added one new position to administration. Currently the Municipality’s administrative structure includes a CAO, three Directors and three Managers overseeing the areas of Finance and Corporate Services, Planning, Engineering and Operations and Protective and Community Services. Currently two of the three manager positions are vacant while recruiting for suitable applicants takes place.

Positions:
# of Positions on October 2010
# of Positions on October 2012
Administrative Positions
6
7
Municipal Inside (office) UnionPositions
10
13
Total Positions in Municipal Office
16
20
Municipal Outside Union Positions
33
37
Total Municipal Administration, Inside (office) and Outside Union Positions
49
57








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