By Staff
February 8th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON’
This article has been updated with comment from Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns
Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns chairing the Budget workshop earlier this week
Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns was clearly on a bit of a role as she talked about how far behind the city is in terms using using technology.
Just about everybody gets their pay check delivered to their bank automatically.
Having the cheques printed, then stuff into envelops that had to addressed and then run through the postage meter and delivered to the post office.
Does anyone do that any more. Not a city with something in the order of about 1000 people on the payroll.
Kearns told council members this:
Another simple thing is we’re getting our city employee paychecks physically sent in the mail to our houses. How is that not? Automated?
That is really hard to believe.
How does stuff like this happen.
Turns out what the Council member said may not be happening. A Gazette reader reports: ” I worked part-time for city 2009 to 2017 and our pay was directly deposited during those years. In fact city automated its whole payroll several years ago almost without a hitch compared to the disaster the federal govt have created.”
When asked to comment on reaction to the remarks she made during the Budget Workshop meeting Councillor said: “Pay stubs are delivered by mail.”
Pay is deposited automatically. Pay stubs, which are the details of the deposited pay, are mailed out.
Should be emailed…sounds like a cost of 3k/month on postage alone.
Pay cheques may be automatically deposited. Under the labour standards act of Ontario every employee MUST receive a pay stub outlining hours worked, pay, deductions etc.
perhaps we are jumping to conclusions as to whether it is pay cheques or stubs being mailed
I’m surprised Lisa Kearns said that, since most including herself (previous job) would have been paid automatically through direct deposit. Doug Ross is correct, this way of paying employees started becoming common 20 years ago. I suspect that Lisa Kearns is not up to speed with knowing the advantages to technology and how (if implemented properly) it can streamline processes. Also easy to audit and pick up irregularities.
Was it Lisa Kearns or her A.I. assistant who said that? Please verify….R2D2
Perhaps the ‘pay cheques for pay stubs’ confusion was a result of Ai and “bumping out a remark”. Kidding aside, it’s time that the City and the Region took a long hard look at what its direct delivery needs are and those that can be more effectively and economically delivered by other means – either through outsourcing or consolidation. The “roll your own” culture of administration is a defunct model; the City should move towards progressive privatization with in-house contract management. The Region should look at how it can consolidate similar services with economies of scale and standardization of facilities and process. It should also look to other levels of government for tools and resources (such as procurement vehicles and vendors of record) that provide even greater economies. The business orientation on the municipal level is parochial and insular. It rarely aspires to looking beyond its own backyard to where best practices and better opportunities can be found. Just a consideration – even MOT outsources the maintenance of our highways; it just manages the various regional and district contracts. Ironically, it seems that the closer the government is to the citizen the less it is able to see how best to actually serve.
Lisa is wrong…. pay has been direct deposited for over 20 years.
Welcome to the “new political world” of plenty, at the taxpayers expense!
Our traffic lights are still run by egg timers.
No roundabouts, traffic management is anathema to
our council. Remember the pier……..
Perhaps some fact checking is in order on this one. I worked part-time for city 2009 to 2017 and our pay was directly deposited during those years. In fact city automated its whole payroll several years ago almost without a hitch compared to the disaster the federal govt have created.
Editors note: We just wrote what the Councillor said in an open meeting. Perhaps you will make a point of taking it up with the Councillor
But she wants MORE services for Ward 2 and voted for a ballooned budget