It may not be the most compelling piece of literature to be unleashed on the local populace in the past 12 months, but Estevan’s city budget should receive serious consideration among local taxpayers.
A civic budget is your money at work and taxpaying doesn’t get any more basic than a local city’s accountancy and numerical transparency.
Before we get on high horses to complain about another three per cent rate increase on property taxes, why don’t we look at some of the cash requirements within this document that outlines what is going to happen with the $33 million or so we are giving this council and administrators to do our bidding.
Are we comfortable with the modest decrease in debt? Are we OK with paying just under $1 million a year of interest payments on that debt?
If you would like to see a bigger chunk of that $29 million debt disappear this year, then are you going to be alright with perhaps saying goodbye to the ancient Civic Auditorium as the backup ice surface and event complex? Would you be in agreement with fewer trees being trimmed and none being planted? If so, then the debt can be knocked down a further $500,000 perhaps.
We probably wouldn’t appreciate a boil water advisory this year, so utility consumption rates have to keep going up just to keep pace with improvements in water and waste water security and safety as well as increasing supplies.
The city could cut back on salaries by eliminating some police and fire and rescue personnel, probably another $1 million to be saved there. You might be OK with that, until your garage catches fire or an unknown intruder enters your yard and tries to get into your basement and the response time is not as swift as it used to be by our protective services personnel.
Widening King Street in that well known embarrassing stretch, could wait for another year or two couldn’t it? It’s only been about 30 years since we first discussed the need to fix this anomaly.
Do we want any streets paved this year? If not, then expect a much higher pothole repair invoice in return. Mother Nature is cruel.
Water main breaks? Should they be repaired quickly, or when public works employees and contractors can get to them within a normal scheduled work day? You decide. We could save another $300,000 to put on that debt if you don’t mind not flushing your toilet for three or four days.
Do you want green grass, flowers and budding leaves, or brown grass, weeds and no leaves? It’s your turn to voice your choice.
We could go on, but the picture is clearly drawn.
Within a civic budget, you only gain in one area by sacrificing in another and it’s a balancing act with a host of local ratepayers claiming to know how to do it better than those “jerks at city hall.”
You also had an opportunity to run for civic office last October, or to cast a vote in favour of or against those who did.
A city budget is a golden opportunity to have your voice heard.
All we would ask is that you make a reasonable argument or request in doing so. Those who are making things happen out of city hall, probably don’t need silly Facebook postings or anonymous tweets critiquing civic activities they don’t know much about, but just like grousing for the sake of grousing.
It’s your turn. The Estevan Chamber of Commerce is providing one outlet for your voice to be heard. We are sure our councillors would like to hear from you too, in the public forum, as long as the tone is reasonable.
It’s a democratic system, use it.
