Looking for the Facts-Administration

Fact #1-We now have the largest administrative in the history of the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass.

Fact #2-Our administration between wages, benefits, pickups, computers, cell phones, training etc will cost us $1.2 million this year.

Fact #3-Administration is now recommending the hiring of a HR person. In part based on the following workplace assessment attached and just the fact that everybody in the community outside of council as realized for the last two years that we have a serious problem in the relationship between our management and the unionized employees. I will take the position that if elected the dollars for this position will be found within the present administrative budget. Next council must reanalyze the organizational structure and determine their priorities.  
http://crowsnestpasshome.blogspot.ca/2013/09/they-never-knew-it-was-this-bad.html

Fact #4-If elected I will be asking for a comparison of our administrative salaries today versus 2010, I am sure the arguments will be made that the scope of work as changed in each area. Unionized wage rates have gone up 9% in the last three years, it will be interesting to analyze the increases within the administrative ranks.

On my next "Facts" I will talk about the turn over in the administrative ranks over the last three years. It was identified in the Farmer report the importance of stability especially at the position of CAO. Interestingly despite the numbers banded about of 14 CAO's in 18 years prior to this council there was the same  CAO in place from August of 2004 to when he announced his retirement in 2010.

Annexation Ranchlands and the Crowsnest Pass

The following story appears in this week's Nanton News written by Sheena Read.
I have provided a few quotes from the story if you wish to read the rest it is available at the following link.


http://www.nantonnews.com/2013/10/11/ranchland-brings-in-experts-for-annexation-issue

Ranchland brings in experts for annexation issue

Chief Administrative Officer Greg Brkich said Klauer hadn’t heard about the Crowsnest bid for annexation of Ranchland area before he had contacted her, but after she researched it, she told Brkich she’d “gotten a real good laugh out of it.”
“It seems that everyone who hears about it gets a good laugh out of it. But for some reason, the Crowsnest Pass doesn’t seem to be laughing,” said Davis.

The Ranchland letter stated that if the annexation occurs, the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass (MCP) is also requiring Ranchland transfer $200,000 per year for five years to the MCP to cover the cost of servicing the proposed annexation area prior to any new potential tax revenue being realized. 

“The MCP proposes that the MD of Ranchland raise its mill rate on linear, commercial, and machinery and equipment to pay for this transfer of funds. In other words, tax the Ranchland ratepayers to subsidize the MCP,” the letter stated.
Ranchland council and administration has stated that the annexation proposal does not meet its mandate to act in the best interests of its ratepayers.

Franchise Fees-The hidden tax

I was just sent a link to another candidates blog to look at the "facts" I do not expect that any other candidate will be providing links to my site. Regardless here are some "facts" if somebody wishes to tell me I am wrong I will change my numbers once I am provided the evidence.  

Franchise Fees

2010-$295,551

2011-$374,288       Increase of $79,000

2012-$569,749       Increase of $196,000

2013-$682,000       Increase of $112,000 

Total three year increase $387,000 keep in mind that every $67,000 raised is equivalent to a 1% tax increase so the full increase would have taken an additional 5.8% tax increase over the three years to match. 

This charge appears on your gas and power bill which is why most people do not even notice it. That is why it is often referred to as the "hidden tax". The municipality back in the fall of 2012 attempted to argue that this is "not a tax" what do you think? 

Let's also not forget that administration had originally proposed to increase this "tax" by another $225,000, which would have taken it to almost $1 million a year do you think that recommendation won't come back? 

Riversdale Resources

Just received the following information regarding a Riversdale Resources open house.
For some reason I could not link the page so I copied and pasted the information.

Grassy Mountain Coal Project
Open House
Please join us from 5:30-7:30 on
Tuesday, October 15 at the
Crowsnest Sports Complex
to discuss the Grassy Mountain Project.
For details or inquiries, please contact
Morgan Tanner at 778-320-0409.

Let’s talk about the Mayor Forum and some class.

This afternoon I made a mistake at approximately 4pm I was send a link to a video on Youtube of a alleged conversation between our Mayor and his council. I posted that link probably a rash decision done in haste, at 6pm I checked that link again and there were further conversations posted about an alleged deal where a councilor had a invoice from the municipality that was written off. My response at this point was “holy shit” this is bad so I deleted the link.

Took my wife to the Mayor’s forum where she and I sat for two hours listened respectively to each person speak applauded and paid attention to where everybody stood on the issues. In the closing comments the Mayor decided that he was going to make an example of me. He choose to talk about the new lows of politics and invited everybody to check out Dean Ward’s blog and see the American style attack ad. Well I was a little shocked that a man who spent the better part of laughing his head of every time somebody said something contrary to his positions for three hours last night at the councilor’s forum, would slam somebody else about class.

I was especially upset when I saw Ed Strembicki stand up last night (actually somebody I have grown to  respect a lot over the last six months) and speak about how he did not appreciate the Mayor calling him a CAVER and a REDNECK, then I looked across the room and saw the Mayor hysterically laughing another a new low in politics. That’s class.

Let’s talk about the incumbent councilor, I have attended 95% of the council meeting in the last three years and watched this incumbent stick up his hand and usually start with. “Well all the questions I was going to ask have already been asked but I will ask something really insignificant to the conversation now”. At the same time watching some of the other councilor's smirk or roll their eyes. Suddenly he is standing up at the forums asking more questions than he as asked in the last three years. If you were that concerned about this community and that much in support of your "team" why are you not running? And yes Mr Rosner’s assessment of the way he worked the crowd was bang on.

Back to the start well if the man, that I watched attack the press in a bully type approach because they were not "accurately" reporting his council meetings then gave them no chance to respond. That attacked residents at public forums at the Elks Hall because they disagreed with his directions. That attacked anybody that disagreed with him in his newsletters with childish name calling, wants to talk about my level of class go ahead.
Then tonight he attacks and attempts to embarrass me in front of the most important person in my life go ahead. I hope you feel like a hero, but to you I say the people that matter will pass judgment on Oct 21^st. To the incumbent councilor you put up the good fight for your "team" but obviously you could no longer stand the heat in the kitchen.

P.S it was a neat trick to burn up my three questions quickly last night and then have one of your supporters attack me about a tax increase in 2008, (that I did not support) and leave me with no opportunity to respond.

To the residents of the Crowsnest Pass Thank you for your support.

Debbie and Dean    

Councilor Forum My Opening and Closing Statements

Below are my opening and closing statements from last night's forum, I also added in my closing statement (In response to a comment from an audience member) the fact that Council in 2008 may have passed a 12% tax increase which at that time I strongly spoke and voted against.

In response to numerous requests I am going to put my opinion poll back up on the Councilors 

Looking for comments regarding last night I will not post any derogatory or personal comments.

Opening Statement

My name is Dean Ward I have lived in the CNP for 30 years, I have a beautiful wife Debbie, raised three kids and have two grandchildren living here.

I have put myself forward as a candidate because I believe in this community and it’s people I wish to see it thrive, flourish and be affordable for all of us. Lets talk about a few issues.  

Taxes, and franchise fees are too high we cannot continue on the path we are on. We are told taxes are only going up 2.5% a year, yet we will pay $400,000 more in franchise fees this year than we did in 2010.

We are a very old community with a very limited tax base, we must increase our municipal revenue by growth not by additional taxation.

We must attract young families by keeping this community affordable.

At the same time we must honor the commitments we have made to our seniors, provide the $100,000 for upgrades at the lodge, and we must make sure the town rounder service is maintained. 

Our community would only have a fraction of what it does today, without the efforts of volunteers both, past, and present we must find more ways to recognize their efforts.

Our administration is too large and expensive, does anybody want to see it get larger? I don’t, we need to determine our priorities and reduce our costs.

Did we really need to spend $50,000 to buy the Best Western name? How much money have we spent on consultants, reports, logo’s, brands, entrance signs. We are not a wealthy community we can not afford to spend freely ever dollar counts.  

We should not need a consultant to tell us how bad the relationship between our municipal workforce and administration is, fixing this needs to be a priority.

Despite all of our concerns the CNP is still the greatest place in the world to live and I would be honored to serve this community for the next four year.  

Thanks for coming enjoy the rest of the evening I will have more comments later

Closing Statement

Moving forward over the next four years.

Change, it will happen, it is unavoidable but it must be change embraced and supported by the community. Your next council could have the greatest ideas in the world but they mean nothing if you the taxpayers feel they are being rammed down your throat. We all need to feel a part of change.

Communications, council needs to do a better job, town hall meetings need to be an opportunity for the public to be heard, council needs to be both available and approachable. Municipal Newsletters should not be an opportunity for the Mayor to call his opponents names, let us bring the respect back to the community starting with our leadership.

Municipal Affairs will not solve our problems they have made that very clear to us, we will live with the people we choose on Oct 21 for the next four years.

I would like to thank the Chamber for putting on the forum and the public for showing up to hear the candidates and for all the support I have received.

Finally, I will not make unrealistic promises, but I will promise you a hard working committed councilor who wants to move this town forward in a positive direction that is supported by the majority of the residents, we have to maintain the Crowsnest Pass as a place that is affordable for all of us. 

On October 21 I would greatly appreciate your vote Thank you.      

Crowsnest Pass Support a community idea?

Below is a link that was sent to me by one of my readers, please check it out and vote to support our community.


http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf17842