A Vernon politician is accusing city hall of misleading the public. Coun. Bob Spiers questions a two-page advertisement the city ran in The Morning Star last Sunday. “There are errors within this report. All average figures are wrong,” he said. As an example, he wonders why a list of salaries refers to the restorative justice co-ordinator when that individual works under contract. The advertisement also indicates that Vernon’s staffing levels are less than other communities. “I don’t know what the sources of those figures are,” said Spiers. “This is like comparing apples and oranges. We don’t include parks staff (it’s a regional service) but in other communities, they do include parks. It’s totally erroneous.” In terms of why a contractor would be placed in with regular staff, chief administrative officer Leon Gous says that’s simply the reporting process followed. “It shows up on the line item as salary,” he said. Gous believes the information comparing communities came from the provincial government and he points out that all municipalities operate differently. “There are no easy comparisons because they all do something else,” he said. “We’re trying to have an illustration of what’s going to total staff expenses compared to contracting out.” Spiers is insisting that the information from the advertisement not be included in the city’s 2010 annual report unless the details are amended. “If you want transparency and honesty, let’s do it,” he said.
-----------
Don Quixote Note: The Annual Report Figures for the Municipal Comparison were corrected as stated in the Post of Wed. June 15th. (Below )
2 comments:
Excellent response by Bob Spiers, but one shouldn't hold their breath waiting for this Administration to be transparent.
Who prepared the report-we have a right to know. Mr Spiers-would you please ask the question in public.
Post a Comment