Newsletter February 17, 2018
Council Meeting Report February 13, 2018.
“The Pretend News”
By now you have no doubt heard of “Fake News,” however, Council has gone one better introducing “Pretend News.” A new Public Engagement Tool Council Report indicates, among other things that:
“Historically, to provide residents an opportunity to provide input into its annual budget Oak Bay Council has held Estimates Committee Meetings where members of the public were invited to attend to learn about and provide input into the District's budgets”.
The report actually informs us the “two years” that Council has allowed residents to provide input at their Council Budget Estimates Committee Meetings is now classified as an historical record.
The facts are: Council did not allow any public participation until the April 2016 Budget-Estimates Committee Meetings and only after significant resident pressure and concerns about lack of transparency. Even then, only three minutes were allowed from each resident in a very short first meeting public participation session - this at the end of three-and-a-half hours that included very little general budget discussion (see minutes on website).
“Historically,” since 2012 under our present leadership, notification of the two Council Estimates Meetings has been short. Most Estimates Meeting time was spent on 3 - 4 selected departmental budgets (that were left unchanged) and the paring back of $160,000 in small Civic Grant requests from mainly non-profit groups – already receiving their core funding from senior Governments and elsewhere. Scant attention was paid to our Annual Budget – now approaching fifty million dollars($50, 000,000).
At the April 6, 2016 Budget Estimates Meeting a resident outlined for Council,
“Several concerns about the budget and strategic planning processes. She noted that in January (2016) it was stated that the Oak Bay Strategic Plan was to be the basis of the estimates process and that there would be public consultation on the strategic planning process at a meeting of Committee of the Whole; however, that consultation did not take place”.
She further noted other concerns: consulting fees budgeted for without being tied to the magnitude of the projects; implementation of the asset management process; sharing services with other municipalities; and a lack of commentary on the key assumptions on the five-year financial plan, which was posted on the website May 3 and which is to get first three readings tonight. She felt that the processes undertaken by other municipalities were more robust”.
Her presentation was abruptly cut off by the Chair (the Mayor) after her three minutes had expired.
What is most interesting about this promised “New Dawn” Budget Reform can be found at oakbaywatch.com (see December 11, 2017 Council Report). It explains how the 2018 Provisional Budget was presented in a “hide & seek” fashion and with even less transparency than other years - and how our budget process is currently inadequate compared to other municipalities.
Now “all of a sudden” in an election year, we are promised, a new “Era of Budget Consultation Reform.” However, before we get too excited, it must be noted:
The February 13, 2018 Budget Public Engagement Tool Council Report states;
“In 2016 the District significantly enhanced its engagement process by conducting a scientifically valid and reliable Citizens' Satisfaction Survey. The survey provides important feedback on community priorities and ideas that Council may consider when making budget and resource decisions”.
So while the New Budget Public Engagement Tool Report seems to be heralding in a whole new era of Budget Public Consultation and Engagement (surprisingly during a municipal election year!), however the “scientific and reliable” Satisfaction Survey findings it references showed:
So if we go by the 2012 to present budget process “history”; and how much budget influence the Satisfaction Survey Findings resulted in; and the endless promises for open public engagement meetings; and the six years it has taken to organize a town Hall meeting; and counting; and hiding property taxes in water bill sewage charges - pointed out and opposed by Councillor Kevin Murdoch then:
Oak Bay Watch advises caution for those holding their breath while awaiting any change to occur.
And now, as a result of Thursday’s February 13, 2018 Council Meeting – please expect a “Flash Bulletin” from Oak Bay Watch.
_____________________________________
*******Please help us continue to provide you with information about Community concerns and Council decisions and actions. Oak Bay Watch members also help community groups with their specific development concerns. Donate to Oak Bay Watch - even $5 or $10 dollars door- to- door handouts and helps us maintain our website. Oak Bay Watch is committed to ensuring the Community gets the full range of information on budget, governance and all key development issues – a well informed opinion cannot be made without this.
(Please use Donate Button at bottom of oakbaywatch.com Home Page).
Keep informed please sign up for our newsletter – oakbaywatch.com bottom of Newsletter Menu Item.
Council Meeting Report February 13, 2018.
“The Pretend News”
By now you have no doubt heard of “Fake News,” however, Council has gone one better introducing “Pretend News.” A new Public Engagement Tool Council Report indicates, among other things that:
“Historically, to provide residents an opportunity to provide input into its annual budget Oak Bay Council has held Estimates Committee Meetings where members of the public were invited to attend to learn about and provide input into the District's budgets”.
The report actually informs us the “two years” that Council has allowed residents to provide input at their Council Budget Estimates Committee Meetings is now classified as an historical record.
The facts are: Council did not allow any public participation until the April 2016 Budget-Estimates Committee Meetings and only after significant resident pressure and concerns about lack of transparency. Even then, only three minutes were allowed from each resident in a very short first meeting public participation session - this at the end of three-and-a-half hours that included very little general budget discussion (see minutes on website).
“Historically,” since 2012 under our present leadership, notification of the two Council Estimates Meetings has been short. Most Estimates Meeting time was spent on 3 - 4 selected departmental budgets (that were left unchanged) and the paring back of $160,000 in small Civic Grant requests from mainly non-profit groups – already receiving their core funding from senior Governments and elsewhere. Scant attention was paid to our Annual Budget – now approaching fifty million dollars($50, 000,000).
At the April 6, 2016 Budget Estimates Meeting a resident outlined for Council,
“Several concerns about the budget and strategic planning processes. She noted that in January (2016) it was stated that the Oak Bay Strategic Plan was to be the basis of the estimates process and that there would be public consultation on the strategic planning process at a meeting of Committee of the Whole; however, that consultation did not take place”.
She further noted other concerns: consulting fees budgeted for without being tied to the magnitude of the projects; implementation of the asset management process; sharing services with other municipalities; and a lack of commentary on the key assumptions on the five-year financial plan, which was posted on the website May 3 and which is to get first three readings tonight. She felt that the processes undertaken by other municipalities were more robust”.
Her presentation was abruptly cut off by the Chair (the Mayor) after her three minutes had expired.
What is most interesting about this promised “New Dawn” Budget Reform can be found at oakbaywatch.com (see December 11, 2017 Council Report). It explains how the 2018 Provisional Budget was presented in a “hide & seek” fashion and with even less transparency than other years - and how our budget process is currently inadequate compared to other municipalities.
Now “all of a sudden” in an election year, we are promised, a new “Era of Budget Consultation Reform.” However, before we get too excited, it must be noted:
- As indicated late in 2017 the annual budget process took a big step backward, and shortly after in early 2018 we are now promised a step forward and,
- Councillors Murdoch, Braitwaite and Zhelka “unhappy” with the 2017 Budget and rejected it and,
- The new Council New Era Reform Report doesn’t indicate public input will be used to actually develop the 2018 budget and most importantly,
- Whether Council’s inadequate Annual Budget process will be improved.
The February 13, 2018 Budget Public Engagement Tool Council Report states;
“In 2016 the District significantly enhanced its engagement process by conducting a scientifically valid and reliable Citizens' Satisfaction Survey. The survey provides important feedback on community priorities and ideas that Council may consider when making budget and resource decisions”.
So while the New Budget Public Engagement Tool Report seems to be heralding in a whole new era of Budget Public Consultation and Engagement (surprisingly during a municipal election year!), however the “scientific and reliable” Satisfaction Survey findings it references showed:
- The top resident “community priority concerns” were over-densification and the poor state of our infrastructure.
So if we go by the 2012 to present budget process “history”; and how much budget influence the Satisfaction Survey Findings resulted in; and the endless promises for open public engagement meetings; and the six years it has taken to organize a town Hall meeting; and counting; and hiding property taxes in water bill sewage charges - pointed out and opposed by Councillor Kevin Murdoch then:
Oak Bay Watch advises caution for those holding their breath while awaiting any change to occur.
And now, as a result of Thursday’s February 13, 2018 Council Meeting – please expect a “Flash Bulletin” from Oak Bay Watch.
_____________________________________
*******Please help us continue to provide you with information about Community concerns and Council decisions and actions. Oak Bay Watch members also help community groups with their specific development concerns. Donate to Oak Bay Watch - even $5 or $10 dollars door- to- door handouts and helps us maintain our website. Oak Bay Watch is committed to ensuring the Community gets the full range of information on budget, governance and all key development issues – a well informed opinion cannot be made without this.
(Please use Donate Button at bottom of oakbaywatch.com Home Page).
Keep informed please sign up for our newsletter – oakbaywatch.com bottom of Newsletter Menu Item.