Managing Tax Dollars Carefully
It may not be the sexiest of topics, but careful financial management of local government is essential if we are going to provide high quality and affordable public services over the long-term.
Taxpayers are concerned about responsible management for obvious reasons: we don’t want our tax dollars wasted. You don’t need to be anti-tax or anti-government to favour careful financial management. Quite the opposite, in fact, as taxpayers can only afford significant investments in public services and amenities if we spend every tax dollar wisely.
To make sure Salt Springers’ tax dollars are well managed, I believe we should:
Make value for money our top priority in budgeting
While wading through hundreds of pages of budget documents, there’s always a risk that decision-makers will get lost in the numbers. So much so that they might forget to ask the most important question as they look at each line in a budget: is this activity and this expenditure going to provide the best possible value for every tax dollar? If not, can we change it so it does? Or should we not do it at all?
With so many pressing priorities before us, if I am elected, I will ask these questions about everything we do and every dollar we spend.
Ensure any new or expanded local government services will be financially sustainable over the long-term
Value for money is especially important when we’re looking at new services or facilities or an increased service level. In the past, our local government has sometimes taken on new things without a clear idea of what they will cost and how we will pay for them over the long-term.
For example, our SIMS Community Centre, taken on before the establishment of the LCC, turned out to be more expensive to operate than had been expected. It’s a valuable amenity and I believe most community members are willing to contribute tax dollars toward it, but it’s important to make sure – as we consider taking on new things – that we accurately determine what they will cost over time and how we’re going to pay for them.
Aggressively pursue federal and provincial grant funding for our major projects
As a small community, Salt Spring depends on funding from the provincial and federal governments to help us add important new amenities, whether it’s the Harbourwalk, renewal of the Old Ganges Firehall or others. These projects are expensive, so it’s essential that we identify and pursue grant funding opportunities as they come up. Doing so can ease the load on local taxpayers and be the difference between a project that can go ahead and one that we simply can’t afford to pursue.
Develop a clear plan for maintaining, upgrading and/or replacing important public facilities as they age
I’ve already mentioned the importance of knowing future costs when we take on new services and facilities. It’s equally important to have a plan to maintain and renew what we already have. For example, the Centennial Park and Grace Point boardwalks are many years beyond the point where they need significant renewal; if we don’t make substantial investments in them soon, they may eventually become unsafe and need to be closed off. The same is true of other aging public facilities.
If we had been putting aside significant funds every year, saving for renewal of these assets, this would be straightforward. Unfortunately, we haven’t always done this and our financial reserves are so low that we’re now playing catch-up.
If I’m elected CRD Director, I will work with the LCC to make sure budgets for every service and every public facility – our swimming pool, boardwalks, library and others – include sufficient funding to cover the costs of facility renewal when it’s time to make those investments.
Wise financial management is essential to good government services. I’m committed to carefully reviewing every expenditure and analyzing every potential new project to understand what it will cost over time and how we’re going to pay for it. Plus I will push for developing a long-term plan to maintain and renew the facilities we already have.
None of this is exciting, but it’s important, fundamental work that I – and the next LCC – need to take on.