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Reduce the five-year district budget

The budget needs a reduction in spending. We need to tighten our belts on all non-essential wishes.

The items listed below need to be deducted from the five-year budget: 

1) The replacement vehicle for bylaw. We cannot afford the gas and bylaw does not need emergency equipment. Emergency equipment should be used on one of the new fire trucks. What was the cost to make modifications to the vehicle to attach the snowplow?

2) Why the increase in corporate salaries/benefits at such a high rate? In five years the benefits increase $5,000 and the salaries over $66,500.

3)Why are the advertising/communications for corporate service rising from $12,750 to $30,000? 

4) Salaries for finance and information technology increase $100,000 over five years. Why?

5) Why a $4,000 increase in the telephone bill over five years?

6) Why a $10,000 increase in software maintenance?

7) Insurance premiums, how many vehicles and what are they?

What is the breakdown for insurance/maintenance for the boardwalk and the insurance for the boat launch?

Why is the district taking over the lift station for the hotel when it is a private enterprise? The district could contribute only a proportional amount.

8) What is the contingency fund under councillors for?

9) The contract with the RCMP should reflect 100 per cent cost, if the census shows we are at 15,000, which is the magic number for us to pay 100 per cent policing costs and also another policeman.

10) Why is there a section for bylaw enforcement under RCMP?

11) Why is there a line for inspection services? What is this for?

12) Under fire department, why is there a $250,000 increase in salaries/benefits ($30,000)?

13) Which fire department vehicles do we pay insurance premiums on.

14) Why the increase for fire department conferences and education from $2,500 to $31,662?

15) Why is there a vehicle/equipment maintenance budget which doubles up repairs/replacement and operation/maintenance? Who are the wages and benefits paid to? Do we have our own mechanic?

16) The total fire department budget, shows an increase of $400,000 about the same as the policing department with 11 officers.

17) Why is engineering showing a increase in salaries of $250,000 and benefits $30,000 in five years?

18) Conferences and memberships,  why the increase of $6,000?

19) Why the sharp increase in salaries under building inspection of $70,000? 

20) Who does the storm water quality control and why?

21) Why an increase from 2010 to 2015 of almost $300,000 in salaries and almost double in benefits in planning?

22) Why $10,000 increases in planning advertising and other from $6,120  in 2010 to $16,210 in 2011? 

23) Why is there a line for conference centre bookings under economic development? If this is the money paid for the conference centre it doesn’t belong under the EDC budget. Does this then mean that they can spend that amount? 

24) Remove the community radio. When this survey was handed out, it never said it was going to be funded by taxpayer dollars. Keep our monies for meaningful projects.

26) What is the conference hosting and community sports event hosting for?

27) Parks are costly to maintain and police.

28) What was the cost of buying the property across from Sassenos school. what do we owe to the bank on that, what are the payments and what amount of rent is being paid to offset the costs of this property?

 

Ellen Lewers,

Sooke