Kelowna Daily Courier:
A government committee gathering public input in advance of the 2009 provincial budget will visit 16 B.C. cities, but not Kelowna or Vernon. Only one stop in the Okanagan is planned, in Penticton, but the 10-member committee will hold six hearings in Metro Vancouver, as well as sessions in small towns such as Kitimat and Fort St. John. “We are trying to spread things out, so that, over time, we‘ll visit as many B.C. communities as possible,” the committee‘s chairman, Randy Hawes (Liberal – Maple Ridge-Mission), said Wednesday. “The travel schedule is hectic, and we can only visit so many communities in a year,” he said. “This year, our stop in the Okanagan is in Penticton.”
One consideration was that this year‘s Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention is being held in Penticton Sept. 22-26. Having the budget hearing in Penticton on Sept. 23 could allow elected officials from many towns and cities to make presentations to the committee, which consists of six Liberal MLAs and four NDP MLAs. Similar pre-budget hearings have been held four times in Kelowna, and once in Vernon.
Last year, almost 6,000 British Columbians made presentations to committee members, offering advice on what they‘d like to see included in the budget. “It‘s very important that all citizens of the province have the opportunity to participate in the budget-making process, and to indicate what their priorities are,” said committee deputy chair Bruce Ralston (NDP – Surrey Whalley).
Written submissions through leg.bc.ca/budgetconsultations must be sent in before Oct. 17.
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Don Quixote Note: As many of Vernon's UBCM resolution could affect the budget it is imperative that those chosen to go to UBCM are prepared to make a full presentation of these ideas to the budget hearings on the 23rd.
No word on who will be representing Vernon at UBCM but as Coun. Cunningham and Baumbrough will be tied up at a conference in Alberta that leaves only 5 council members to choose from. A councillor versed in the intricacies of Provincial Financing and taxation will be needed to lead this team. Who will make the team ?
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