Home »
Invermere council wants to hear from you
By Carol Gordon
As District of Invermere council prepares its 2018 Budget, it is asking the community to “Get Involved.”
The flyer, ‘District of Invermere 2018 Budget Municipal Finance 101,’ which is being distributed through Canada Post and at public consultation sessions says:
“Whether it is providing us input through our online survey or whether it is attending one of the budget open houses to either ask questions and find out more information or if it is to express an opinion and inform council members, your participation and perspective is important.”
“Coffee with Council” sessions were held on November 7 and 8 and public consultation sessions in the form of Open Houses will take place November 22 and December 6 beginning at 6 p.m. at the new Columbia Valley Centre.
“The first open house will start with a presentation and the final open house will be a conclusion of what the 2018 budget will look like. The Public Consultation Period ENDS on Friday, November 24.”
A copy of the document is available online: District of Invermere Proposed Annual Budget 2018 2018-2022 Financial Plan You may wish to check out page three: “What We Propose to Do in 2018.”
Additional ways to communicate with council regarding the budget:
Email: [email protected] title email as “2018 Budget”
Mail: District of Invermere, Box 339, Invermere, BC V0A 1K0
Facebook: start a conversation on our page www.invermere.net/District-of-Invermere
Here is an email interview with Mayor Gerry Taft as to why he thinks it is important for the community to “Get Involved” in the 2018 Budget Public Consultation Process:
1. From your perspective, what are the reasons behind holding these public meetings?
Mayor Taft: To gather input and views from residents and property owners on how their tax dollars should be spent, and also to help to educate people about why certain decisions were made in the past and what is guiding our though process going forward.
2. What are your thoughts as to the importance of people attending them?
There is a saying that – “the world is run by those who show up.” Obviously people don’t have to attend, and sometimes low attendance gives council the impression that people are generally happy with what is going on, but if only a few people show up to the open houses it does give those few voices a bit more weight; for better or for worse.
3. How do you see the information that you receive from the results of the surveys being processed and utilized? What impact will it have?
The survey is a great chance to ‘check-in’ on how people are feeling about service levels and about emerging issues. The survey isn’t scientific, but it provides some guidance and chance for council to reflect on the results compared to our “gut feelings.”
4. How do you see the information that you receive from peoples’ questions and comments during Coffee with Council sessions and during the council open houses being processed and utilized?
The open houses and Coffee with Council are two way flows of information, as much as we are receiving input and hearing people’s opinions we are also helping to explain that “back story” and why certain things have happened or how municipal finance functions and how municipalities operate. Most people who engage in these conversations are as interested in learning as they are in expressing an opinion.
5. What are your thoughts as to how much influence/weight/impact people’s input into the Public Consultation process for the 2018 Budget will have in the final budgetary decisions?
You will have to show up and then pay attention to the adoption of our budget to find out! The reality is that it is unlikely that the core of the budget will drastically change because of the input received, but there are little tweaks and areas to focus on and even ideas for the future, which can come out of the consultation.
6. What will happen after the public consultation phase is finished? What will happen with the information you receive?
Council will have a bit of a de-brief and go through the budget again double check everything and along with any new information from staff, make any changes that might be necessary
7. How will the final budgetary decisions be made? What is the process?
Council has already gone through the proposed 2018 operating budget ‘line by line’ and has also reviewed and provided direction on the proposed capital budget for 2018. Council has also already discussed the tax ratio between commercial and residential properties, and has looked at potential options for setting aside money for reserves as well as potential tax increases.
In addition to receiving the input from the survey and the open houses, council is also waiting for the review of the pricing for many equipment components for the new community centre, like retractable theatre seating, before deciding on the final budget. Likely the final budget will be brought forward at a council meeting in the middle of December.
Legally, the budget does not need to be adopted until April, and many local governments wait almost that long to adopt their budget. Invermere begins the budgeting process with staff in the summer, and council gets involved in September. We have found that it makes sense to get the budget finished early and in some cases this allows us to tender projects and begin things early in the new year.
Lead image: District of Invermere council – from left at back: Al Miller, Greg Anderson, Justin Atterbury and Paul Denchuk. Seat: Mayor Gerry Taft. District of Invermere photo
e-KNOW
