Pick us…pick us!!!!

We just completed an external core services review. That makes us an ideal community to set up an audit system and compare one to another.

Pretty please with sugar on top. …. okay, with sucralose on top.

YES, just what Gus said. Wow, a review engagement targeting effectiveness, the economy and efficiency of a municipality all rolled together….is it too late to get our three fitty *plus back as well as the tens of thousands of dollars in staff wages just for the “joke review” alone? We are the laughing stock…

Reviewing PG would also allow the AG to comment on the effectiveness of a review such as KPMG conducted.

It would allow the AG to come up with recommendations of RFP conditions for other municipalities which the AG would consider to meet standards required for municipal audits should some municipalities wish to do such an exercise in the future.

We are beyond Hope. That is another good reason for the AG to begin in the hinterland ….. no one else will care.

Just imagine the repercussions if the dirty laundry were to be hung out in Surrey, the AG’s home office area, or Burnaby or even Abbotsford.

For a number of reasons, this is likely a great place for a test run.

I havent seen the marching orders for the AG Office Municipal Audits, however from what I hear they will be concerning themselves with ensuring that all the monies owed to them by Municipalities are being paid. So if this is true then its all about collecting money for the Government. (Whats new)

I doubt very much if they would look at things like, the Airport fiasco, Boundry Road, Police Station, Community Energy System, high taxes, or over paid employee’s.

Until I am convinced otherwise I see this as nothing more than another level of Government and the associated red tape.

Lets hope that our tax payers will vent their fury to the LGAG instead of this site. Would that work to get attention?
Cheers

I suspect it is all about tax collection as Palopu says, but sure would be nice if the new office would look into conflicts of interest as well.

after reading the series on here about the strange wheeling and dealing that was going on behind closed doors for the pg hotel and the wood innovation center, the municipal AG should be looking into what the heck was going on.

I don’t recall a single public discussion by the city over the deal and after reading the series it smells of corruption at some level.

Brian where are you? If this was discussed behind closed doors by council why not make that information public and clear up what looks awfully suspicious.

With a bunch of skeptics out there and a bunch of people who screen everything through left or right wing eyes, it is difficult to hold a reasonable discussion about what I consider to be a neutral and very positive action which will benefit those who operate municipalities and those who are taxpayers and want to know how well their municipality is doing with the money they collect from us to provide the services we need as well as those we want and can afford.

Other provinces and municipalities have such offices and it was high time we got such an office in BC.

Educate yourself. The information about the mandate of the Auditor of Municipalities has been provided before, but is more specifically described in the act which governs the office.
http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/00_12005_01#section3

Quoting from it: (hey look it, Gus is cutting and pasting again!!! LOL)

Purpose and mandate

3 (1) The purpose of the auditor general is to conduct performance audits of the operations of local governments in order to provide local governments with objective information and relevant advice that will assist them in their accountability to their communities for the stewardship of public assets and the achievement of value for money in their operations.

(2) A performance audit conducted under this Act by the auditor general consists of
(a) a review of the operations of a local government, as the operations relate to a matter or subject specified by the auditor general, to evaluate the extent to which
(i) the operations are undertaken economically, efficiently and effectively,
(ii) financial, human and other resources are used in relation to the operations with due regard to economy and efficiency,
(iii) the operations are effective in achieving their intended results, or
(iv) procedures established by the local government are sufficient for the local government to monitor the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of those operations, and

(b) recommendations to the local government arising from the review referred to in paragraph (a).

(5) In carrying out the powers and duties under this Act, the auditor general must not call into question the merits of policy decisions or objectives of a local government.

==================================

Notice that the Regional District screwed up royally as well with not covering wind down costs of the current land fill. The projection is that they will be $20million short and now figure they will capture that through individual garbage dumping user fees.

I mean, I really cannot help myself when I have to ask whether we have anyone working on our behalf that has any competency for what they are doing.

But then again, it seems that the corporate world is no different with the recent resignation of the CEO of Rio and poor choices that Board made in investments which their investors trusted them to handle more prudently. Really not that much different between that and taxpayers and City Councils.

Where are we going wrong?

“after reading the series on here about the strange wheeling and dealing that was going on behind closed doors for the pg hotel and the wood innovation center”

I do not see too much strange about it. It is simply people doing what goes on in larger cities all the time. Problem is, the locals do not get much practice, so have not perfected it yet. ;-)

Which reminds me …. I wonder how the hotel/condo project is doing?

And the Swiss Chalet franchise offering.

I hear Mr. Jakes is closing.

Well we could always sell the Civic Centre, Swimming Pool, PG Hotel and other venues…maybe Commonwealth might be interested in purchasing them? Just a thought.

Prince George has worked hard to build itself into a people city. I have lived in most of our provinces, in the Yukon and in the south east of BC and believe me when I say Prince George beats them all hands down to live in. I have no idea of what an Atourney General can do about identifying what is happening to our taxes in Prince George and point the wrong doers to the door. We don’t need their kind working with our tax dollars.

Well maybe we could sell our Civic Centre, Swimming Pool, PG Hotel and whatever else the core review suggests we dump to ballance the books. maybe Commonwelth is interested in buying them.

AUDITOR …… not Attorney

As a young serviceman I lived in most of the provinces of this beautifull country. I’ve lived in the Yukon after getting out then i went downto the southeast of BC then back up to Prince George. Of all of the places that I have lived in Prince George was the best. That said I would like to see an Attourney General audit the hell out of Prince George. I am sure he will cause many to wet their pants from fright. Please audit Prince George First we need it.

Maybe you have not heard yet, in order for Commonwealth to purchase those, they would have to borrow money from us, the taxpayers.

In order to do that, they have to pay back the money they borrowed in the first place….. LOL.

Besides, it is not about buying any of those places …. it is about operating those places so that they would cost less…..

And now that the whole thing is out and one is not required to be politically correct, it is all about putting lower paid people in place of operating such locations ….. you know, the very thing that people such as Palopu are talking about …. pay less and/or work more efficiently and effectively and pay the same or more per person to fewer people.

So, the City can either get an agreement to do the work forless with the current union(s) and new agreements …. or go for an RFP for operating some of the civic facilities for less money in total, including any subsidy they may have to pay in order to keep user fees from rising too much or too fast.

So would it be safe to say that the Auditor General will look at the Citys operations going forward??

In other words all the damage done in the past 15 years which basically put us in the poor house will be ignored.??

No retroactive audits?? That would be my bet.