Kevin Diakiw’s article, Hepner says new $100 levy was necessary, points to Surrey First’s diminished credibility by way of planning and governance and should make most Surreyites concerned.
“Unexpected costs” in government means officials are flying by the seat of their pants or those involved knew what lay ahead, but failed to admit so for whichever purpose, likely political gain. Perhaps it’s a dab of both.
Diakiw reported that Mayor Linda Hepner acknowledges a $100 levy was never raised by her party during the fall election, but the tax became necessary to maintain the city’s capital program.
This admittance is shocking and alarming on two related fronts.
One, though the levy may have been a necessary evil post-election, where was this information during the election, or before, especially in regard to the capital program now at its fiscal breaking point?
This could not have cropped up out of nowhere, and if it did, that’s worst. Are there “unexpected costs” around the corner in quarter three of 2015? What about for 2016?
On the second front, the willingness to hide the need of a tax increase in the wake of fiscal concerns spells well sown cynicism within the ranks of Surrey First.
Last May, it was reported that 30 new officers were to be added to the Surrey RCMP force in 2014. Those 3o additions were then stretched to demarcate additions over 2014-2015.
Nevertheless, twelve of those officers were already on the books, accounted for within the budget, while the other 18 additional were said to be covered as part of cost-saving measures.
Seven months later, post-election, council decided: cost pressures – primarily from the hiring of the RCMP – put the city’s aggressive capital program at risk. The paraphrased words of finance committee chair Tom Gill.
A jaw-dropping 180 degree turn indeed.
Diakiw further paraphrased Gill as stating that there were other cost pressures that came as a surprise, including a benefits increase for the RCMP and a pay increase for Surrey firefighters.
That is interesting, annoying and shocking all in the same length.
In Surrey’s Financial Plan 2014-18, council directed that the following be included:
- Property tax increase equivalent to $44 per year for a single family dwelling and $203 per year for a business with an assessed value of $1.0 million;
- A 3.0% or equivalent fee increase;
- Third party contract increases (maintenance, software, etc.);
- Salary, benefit and in-range salary increases;
- Full year impact of four firefighters added in 2013;
- Full year impact of twelve RCMP contract member positions added in 2013;
- Operating funding for new capital buildings, such as the Guildford Pool, the South Surrey Art & Cultural Space and community improvements at the Newton Athletic Park; and
- Support for Council’s key priorities such as Social Well Being, Surrey Energy, Sustainability and Crime Reduction.
Not only are the operating costs for new capital buildings accounted for, so are salary, benefits and in-range increases, as well as the cost of (four) firefighters and RCMP members. This, less than a year ago.
Yet it’s the public is to believe the cost pressures came as a surprise?
Who does the analysis and accounting for the city? Who does their research and report writing? And if in months time, the costs inflated to the surprise of the finance committee chair, then there’s greater concern, one of competence and clarity of role.
Though it’s not difficult to see why Local 1271 was so supportive of the Hepner regime:
Hepner further stated, in Diakiw’s piece, that there were more unexpected costs in relation to the acquisition of new pools, going as far as admitting she didn’t know it would cost $2 million to operate a pool.
It was stated in Surrey’s Financial Plan 2014-2018, that the projects identified in the General Capital Financial Plan section included changes to Newton Athletic Park, advanced design for a new Clayton Recreation Facility, completion of the Guildford Indoor Pool and continued construction of the Grandview Indoor Pool.
Yet, it took until last month for the mayor to suddenly catch wind that previously documented costs were in error, that $2 million in operating costs were ill-accounted for.
The question is why propose something, let alone move forward with a project, before you knew the full cost estimate of? A strange way of management. And as mayor and a government official, it’s baffling, but not surprising.
My eyes weep, for ‘competent’ and ‘truthful’ fare not as descriptors of our leaders, but as antonyms to the actions of their whims.
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