By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON March 7, 20100 – Perhaps the best comment made at the last of the public input meeting on the 2011 City of Burlington budget was made by a woman who said: “Everyone who writes a letter should have to attend these meeting.” Some 50 people were in the room at the Burlington Arts Centre with at least a quarter of the crowd made up of city staff who presented and then led workshops at which people discussed and commented in detail on their view of the spending plan for the city in fiscal 2011.
Four tables were set up with a staff person facilitating while people used a workbook the city had prepared. At the end of the hour session as a group, each reported back to everyone attending on what their views were.
There wasn’t a huge complaint over the level of taxes. The concerns heard that Saturday morning were transit and culture. The people in the room seemed to be saying that they understood money was needed to pay for services and that all they really wanted was to have the tax money spent wisely.
While many people in the room had a special interest it wasn’t a noisy crowd; they were there to listen and then to share there views with other citizens. A typical well behaved, thoughtful Burlington audience.
Citizens gathered into workgroups and were led through a workbook with a staff facilitator.
One concern that was suggested was that the city spend less on roads and more on transit which suggested there was not a clear understanding of what the city is faced with in terms of the shortfall in funding to pay for road maintenance. The current operating budget provides just 68% of the money the city staff feel they need to keep the roads we have in decent condition.
Some might argue that the standard the roads department works to is a bit too high but the fact remains is that the roads are there and the city can’t shut down or decommission a road – people live on those streets. So to spend less on roads and more on transit as a suggestion was a bit difficulty to understand.
The session was ably led by Acting Director of Finance Joan Ford and her staff with a few other senior staff on hand. The Mayor Goldring was also in attendance and moving from table to table to get a sense of the way the discussions were going. Rick Goldring probably left the room pleased with the way the 2011 budget was being accepted. Now to get it to his full council where the competing interests of the community come into play and council members debate what should stay in the budget and what should be cut.
Mayor Rick Goldring listens from the side lines as citizens discuss the budget he has to get through his council.
It is interesting to note that there was no talk of actual budget cuts or mention of facilities that the city staff have suggested be de-commissioned.
Of note also is the fact that both public sessions were held in the more populated parts of the city. The first at Tansley Woods on Upper Middle Road and the second at the Burlington Arts Centre on Lake shore road. Many, if not all of the Council members will hold public sessions in their Wards and staff will attend these.
The city is going to spend $190 million on its day to day operations with the bulk of that money going to pay salaries and benefits. One person wanted to city to explain the impact of what the spending was. ‘We need to be educated on what the sending is going to do to us or for us rather than be give just the number of dollars or a percentage.”
The city has provided the following to help understand where the money they spend comes from and then what they do with that money when they get it. The lady who made the Letter to the Editor comment was more to the point than she may have realized.
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