Written by Peter McIntyre 107.5 KISSFM Monday, 26 November 2012 21:21
So far, so good for the city of Vernon's core service review. KPMG is being paid $80,000 to review all aspects of city spending and services. Reps from the accounting firm told council they've completed the first of four phases, getting the project information, with the next step to gather information from staff, council and the public. Councillor Catherine Lord was concerned about two of the five communities the firm will use to compare to Vernon. "Both Kamloops and Kelowna are almost three times the size of Vernon. They have more funding and money and some of the services they offer are incredibly different from what we offer. Councillor Patrick Nicol agreed, saying Kelowna and Kamloops have more government offices than Vernon, and he suggested Salmon Arm be considered. The other cities that will be compared as part of the review are Campbell River, Penticton and Mission. The firm will make recommendations to council in March. Councillor Bob Spiers says the public will be invited to give feedback in January. "I'm just happy we're at the point where we're finally going forward with it." Alastair Nimmons from KPMG says the review will focus on four key areas: city services, the organizational structure, RCMP and the infrastructure deficit. He says the city and residents will be able to identify key opportunities for change. The public is invited to send comments to the reviewers at covcsr@kpmg.ca Mayor Rob Sawatzky says the process appears to be comprehensive and thorough. "It's a lot of work for our staff, and that takes away from their regular duties, but we asked for it, and there's nothing we can do about that." KPMG made a 20 minute presentation to council before taking questions.
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