Rocky View County council hosted a special event to garner public reaction to its draft 2012 budget, March 13.
Several residents attended the public hearing, with two sharing concerns about the $126.3 million draft operating budget and $42.9 million capital budget, which will come before council for approval on March 27.
Mike Riley, general manager of the Elbow Valley Residents Club, said the data made available to the public, including 47 pages of budget spread sheets and the Countyís 2011-2013 Corporate Strategy, didnít contain enough information for meaningful study.
ìThese documents do not permit meaningful analysis to be conducted and so frustrate our efforts to provide meaningful input at the detail level...,î said Riley. ìThere are a lot of numbers but no narrative to explain the numbers. (There is) not a lot of information in the budget, just data.î
Riley also questioned why the County is projecting a tax increase of three per cent, considering the budget calculates overall expenses are down 9.66 per cent.
He also raised concern that the published draft budget decrease of 5.89 per cent in salaries, wages and benefits when compared to lasts yearís numbers, does not match recent staff reductions due to layoffs and attrition of 16.5 per cent.
ìGiven the sheer volume numbers in the public draft document, I have difficulty answering the three fundamental questions asked by taxpayers, which include: ìWhat is the County doing for my tax dollars? How does the budget link to the strategic direction and plan? And does this represent value for money?î said Riley.
Former councillor Gloria Wilkinson, who has lived in the county for 32 years, said explanatory notes detailing the budget would be useful for those residents wanting to give constructive input on the document.
The budgetís explanatory notes generally become public after the document is approved by council.
ìI donít know what in the strategicÖ goals match any lines in the budget,î said Wilkinson. ìCurrently you have a whole bunch of data with nothing to match it to.î
Kent Robinson, director of County business services, said the public can expect to see a much more detailed document when the budget is before council. He added the explanations werenít added to allow changes to be made.
Robinson added this yearís budget process has been lengthy, as council directed staff to go through the budget line-by-line, providing much more detail than in previous years.
Reeve Rolly Ashdown said council went through the draft budget in depth.
ìCouncil is very aware of the efficiency we want to get to, so it is a big task to get through a budget and save where you can without giving up any services,î said Ashdown.
The County values input from its residents on the budget, Ashdown added.
ìSometimes people have a problem with the way the County spends money and we would rather have them come and tell us before than after,î he said. ìIt is good to get the input from people. You want to have some say in what happens and council wants to hear that input.î
