Well its no longer just a rumour the municipality did hire a new deputy Fire Chief. The story is in today's newspaper.
For a minimum of one year and possibly two.
There goes another $100,000 a year.
Note: Check the following posts out from a while back so many people have said to me "I didn't see this coming"
http://crowsnestpasshome.blogspot.ca/2011/09/fire-departmentsrescue-meet-with.html
http://crowsnestpasshome.blogspot.ca/2011/10/fire-departments-created-much-debate-in.html
Showing posts with label Taxpayers Dollars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taxpayers Dollars. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Rum Runner Days weekend.
Well here is your chance to make your comments about the weekend, good bad or indifferent. Weather it be the parade, show and shine, carnival, Thunder in the Valley, etc.
What did you think, is the weekend worth the $100,000 of taxpayers money that goes in to it?
Should the weekend continue in its present form, should the municipality be taking over the entire weekend as suggested by our local leaders or just leaving it alone.
Looking forward to any and all comments, now's your chance to speak.
What did you think, is the weekend worth the $100,000 of taxpayers money that goes in to it?
Should the weekend continue in its present form, should the municipality be taking over the entire weekend as suggested by our local leaders or just leaving it alone.
Looking forward to any and all comments, now's your chance to speak.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
It's only garbage, Spring Cleanup in the Crowsnest Pass
Well here, we go again the old issue of Spring Cleanup.
This annual ritual (some years bi annual) where we take our municipal workforce away from jobs that they should be doing and turn them into garbage men (nothing derogatory towards garbage men) for anywhere from two to six months.
Over the last seven years this absolute waste of time as cost the taxpayers anywhere from $100,000 to $400,000 per year in total somewhere around $2 million.
Wow, we could have put in place three new graders, three new loaders and probably a couple of brand new trucks without incurring one dollar of debt in that timeframe.
So new council made up of mostly people that pledged to go after the inefficiencies within the municipality to keep the cost of taxes down takes another look at this issue.
Lo and behold, they have come up with a new plan they are going to remain being one of the few communities in the province that still does this silliness but they are going to do it differently.
We the taxpayers are going to be supplied with a list of items that are eligible to be removed by our public works employees, (temporary garbage men). For two weeks, the taxpayers will have the opportunity to call the municipality to notify them of the need to have their garbage picked up.
Then the municipal employees will come around and pick them up. The dollars allowed in the budget for this Myron Thompson stated $10,000 just for labour.
My response to that is “dream on” at our labour rates that works out to a little under 300 hours of labour over a one month period that “two” employees assigned to this.
Think about a few things:
How hard is it going to be to call the municipal office those two weeks?
We have over 3200 residences in the Crowsnest Pass imagine if only half of them call for a pick up, the logistic nightmare of coordinating that exercise?.
If house number one and four on a block calls to schedule a pick up, number three sees his neighbors putting out material so he just goes ahead and puts his out will the municipal employees just drive by because he did not schedule?
Councilor Saindon stated I believe correctly that this cleanup will cost just as much as the old one. He as also stated on his blog that he is clearly opposed to this, I hope he can convince his colleagues, it is time for the Crowsnest Pass to recognize as so many other communities have this is not a luxury we can afford.
Its time to end the debate on Spring Cleanup.
NOTE: Surprising results on my poll regarding the new cleanup only 2 voters (5%) felt the new idea was good, 11 voters (30%) felt the municipality should stick with the old cleanup. Lastly 23 voters (63%) felt that the municipality doing cleanups should just end.
This annual ritual (some years bi annual) where we take our municipal workforce away from jobs that they should be doing and turn them into garbage men (nothing derogatory towards garbage men) for anywhere from two to six months.
Over the last seven years this absolute waste of time as cost the taxpayers anywhere from $100,000 to $400,000 per year in total somewhere around $2 million.
Wow, we could have put in place three new graders, three new loaders and probably a couple of brand new trucks without incurring one dollar of debt in that timeframe.
So new council made up of mostly people that pledged to go after the inefficiencies within the municipality to keep the cost of taxes down takes another look at this issue.
Lo and behold, they have come up with a new plan they are going to remain being one of the few communities in the province that still does this silliness but they are going to do it differently.
We the taxpayers are going to be supplied with a list of items that are eligible to be removed by our public works employees, (temporary garbage men). For two weeks, the taxpayers will have the opportunity to call the municipality to notify them of the need to have their garbage picked up.
Then the municipal employees will come around and pick them up. The dollars allowed in the budget for this Myron Thompson stated $10,000 just for labour.
My response to that is “dream on” at our labour rates that works out to a little under 300 hours of labour over a one month period that “two” employees assigned to this.
Think about a few things:
How hard is it going to be to call the municipal office those two weeks?
We have over 3200 residences in the Crowsnest Pass imagine if only half of them call for a pick up, the logistic nightmare of coordinating that exercise?.
If house number one and four on a block calls to schedule a pick up, number three sees his neighbors putting out material so he just goes ahead and puts his out will the municipal employees just drive by because he did not schedule?
Councilor Saindon stated I believe correctly that this cleanup will cost just as much as the old one. He as also stated on his blog that he is clearly opposed to this, I hope he can convince his colleagues, it is time for the Crowsnest Pass to recognize as so many other communities have this is not a luxury we can afford.
Its time to end the debate on Spring Cleanup.
NOTE: Surprising results on my poll regarding the new cleanup only 2 voters (5%) felt the new idea was good, 11 voters (30%) felt the municipality should stick with the old cleanup. Lastly 23 voters (63%) felt that the municipality doing cleanups should just end.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Municipal Advertising in the Crowsnest Pass
During the debate on the municipal advertising in the local papers, a couple of councilors could not grasp the large difference between the cost of advertising in 2007/08 and 2010.
Numbers are available at below: http://crowsnestpasshome.blogspot.com/2010/11/presentation-to-crowsnest-pass-council.html
In 2007 the municipality spent approximatly $57,300.
In 2008 the municipality spent approximatly $66,100.
In 2010 the municipality as spent to the end of September $8,400.
The difference that nobody really wanted to explain, was this in 2007 the municipality was paying roughly $700 a page in two papers, so if you had 1 page per week in two papers for 50 weeks that was $700 x 2 x 50 = $70,000
Now in 2010 the municipality is paying $180 a page in one paper for 50 weeks. That is $180 x 1 x 50 = $9000
That is a fairly large difference isn't it, certainly makes 2008 versus 2010 much clearer.
Numbers are available at below: http://crowsnestpasshome.blogspot.com/2010/11/presentation-to-crowsnest-pass-council.html
In 2007 the municipality spent approximatly $57,300.
In 2008 the municipality spent approximatly $66,100.
In 2010 the municipality as spent to the end of September $8,400.
The difference that nobody really wanted to explain, was this in 2007 the municipality was paying roughly $700 a page in two papers, so if you had 1 page per week in two papers for 50 weeks that was $700 x 2 x 50 = $70,000
Now in 2010 the municipality is paying $180 a page in one paper for 50 weeks. That is $180 x 1 x 50 = $9000
That is a fairly large difference isn't it, certainly makes 2008 versus 2010 much clearer.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Crowsnest Council up coming issue November 2
Well Tuesday night on the agenda is a visit from Lisa S regarding the Crowsnest Herald.
Later in the month the new council will decide which paper to give the advertising to for 2011.
Or will they abandon the tendering practice that as reduced the cost of advertising considerably????
Be real interesting to see where the new council members sit on this issue, especially the ones that spoke about sound fiscal management.
Last numbers I had available 2008 total advertising was right around $90,000, (last year of advertising in both papers) this year we were on track for less than $30,000 by year end.
Keep in mind each $64,000 is equivalent to 1% of our property taxes.
The smart answer here is to keep saving the taxpayers 1% on there taxes every year, council should take the lowest bid.
Did you know before we tendered the advertising the municipality was paying between $7-800 per page, now we are paying less than $200 per page.
Amazing what a little healthy competition does.
Later in the month the new council will decide which paper to give the advertising to for 2011.
Or will they abandon the tendering practice that as reduced the cost of advertising considerably????
Be real interesting to see where the new council members sit on this issue, especially the ones that spoke about sound fiscal management.
Last numbers I had available 2008 total advertising was right around $90,000, (last year of advertising in both papers) this year we were on track for less than $30,000 by year end.
Keep in mind each $64,000 is equivalent to 1% of our property taxes.
The smart answer here is to keep saving the taxpayers 1% on there taxes every year, council should take the lowest bid.
Did you know before we tendered the advertising the municipality was paying between $7-800 per page, now we are paying less than $200 per page.
Amazing what a little healthy competition does.
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