It’s 3pm –Do you know where your Council is?
Ron Bolin: August 26, 2011
It’s 3pm on Monday, August 29, 2011. Do you know where your Council is? Actually, they will be in the same small City Hall board room in which they met last Monday at 4:30pm sitting as a “Special” Council meeting. This time they meet at 3pm sitting as the Finance and Policy Committee of the whole. Like the special Council meeting this one is, by legislation, open to the public –if only they could attend an afternoon meeting, if they could fit a reasonable number in the room, if enough people were aware of the meeting, and frankly, if enough people cared.
The primarly topic on the agenda will be “Permissive Tax Exemptions”, introduced by a presentation from Mr. Brian Clemens, Director, Finance, who will provide a PowerPoint presentation regarding Council’s Permissive Tax Exemption policy. This will be followed by consideration of recommendations from the Grants Advisory Committee relating to Permissive Tax Exemptions and Cash in lieu of Permissive Tax Exemptions. (A Permissive Tax Exemption is one which is granted to an organization which owns property but is relieved of the duty to pay tax on it given the City’s Permissive tax policy.) Of course if the tax on these properties is not paid by them, then they must be paid by others as the budget is not correspondingly reduced. While the intention of this policy is admirable and the bang for the buck may be justified, there are only so many dollars to go around to so many worthy causes. The total amount taken from taxpayers to be doled out by Council is not insignificant. It behooves citizens to be aware of their own largesse.
Also on the agenda is the award of an “Other” grant and A few housekeeping items which will be followed by the inevitable “In Camera” meeting.
Posts and Comments on Nanaimo Governance 
Why aren’t these council meetings in the evening like many other cities? This way those that are working can attend. 3 oclock meeting and even the 5 o’clock meeting are very hard for the working person to attend.
Seems to me a large part of the voting population have no choice and can not attend. Many of cityies have these meetings at 7 in the evening, thus allowing those that want to attend the proper opportunity to be there.
The actual attendance at the 7:00 pm regular council meetings are very poorly attended, and based on the lack of knowledge of what city council and staff are up to, you really have to wonder what it would take to get the general public to get involved.
How many people do you know are aware they are voting to borrow $22.5 million, by not voting? that city council decided to spend $16 million on a new office without going to tender???
In a democracy we get EXACTLY the government we DESERVE.
In talking to just a few people that common thought process was that VIHA said that it had to be done so if we need the money then council has to get it somehow, they have no choice.
So let them go get it.
What is deemed to be by VIHA is the word!
But for example, city hall could have used the $16 million they are spending on a shiny new office for staff. They could then have asked the public if it was OK to borrow the money to build the office.
How do you think that would have gone??
I agree with what you are trying to say. It’s pretty slick of the city to do the funding this way. They get the new offices and also because VIHA has deemed this new water treatment is mandatory the population is not going to argue the funding.
My question is if the population knows about the new city offices and they (the city) has said it is because of earthquakes would the outcome really be any different.I having this same conversation with one senior person, her response was will if it is needed because of earthquakes, then I guess they have to do it. This is a smart lady (teacher), so what does this tell us.
I have been reading the history of Nanaimo and itis very interesting how the mindset was then and it is now. Not too much of a change, in my mind.
Lynn;
The other option if you REALLY think earthquake protection is the issue, is the fact it would cost $4 million to upgrade the existing annex. Was the teacher aware of that?? How much in danger is the existing building really? A suspicious person might think that this earthquake standard is just a ploy to line a local contractors pocket while at the same time stroking egos at city hall.
Nanaimo is not unique with the general population simply abandoning their role in the whole process, I feel it is just a lazy cop out, to accept whatever decisions elected and non-elected officials have to say unquestioningly (sp?) without scrutinizing the process that leads to the decisions that decide how to spend tax dollars.
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I read somewhere that when you feel no sense of responsibility, it is because you have surrendered to all authority over you. People. in general seem to feel that as long as a politician makes a decision they are not responsible for the outcome.
Have you ever heard “it really doesn’t matter who you vote for, they are all the same”?
For the most part that is true, because they are not held accountable AFTER they are elected as the general population snoozes away entangled with more ‘important’ issues.
Reading the history of Nanaimo is instructive. It is also interesting that even though the Provincial government was willing to let the HST go to a vote, Nanaimo City Council hides behind “outside” powers for their subservience. It is one thing to lose a fight. It is another to give up without one. It took the military to show those miners what was what and who was who.
Nanaimo is not unique with the general population simply abandoning their role in the whole process, I feel it is just a lazy cop out, to accept whatever decisions elected and non-elected officials have to say unquestioningly (sp?) without scrutinizing the process that leads to the decisions that decide how to spend tax dollars.
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Tis soon after that that the riots start!
It starts with the disenfranchised & works it’s way up to the more knowledgable.
Either way, those that treat the voting public with such scorn will eventually suffer the consequences.
My goodness we have way too many that treat the masses with contempt.
Who will throw the first stone, who will break the first window?
Who will build more prisons?
Nanaimo is not unique with the general population simply abandoning their role in the whole process, I feel it is just a lazy cop out, to accept whatever decisions elected and non-elected officials have to say unquestioningly (sp?) without scrutinizing the process that leads to the decisions that decide how to spend tax dollars.
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People will only accept unpopular decisions for so long.
The “first stone” could well be a total replacement of Council with more progressive members.
In the last election Gary Korpan was not just voted out ; he was humiliated.
If only 30% of the general public decide to turn out at election time , then so be it.
I am sure those that do vote will make rational well informed decisions & take their Civic resposibilites seriously.
Until then (election) I am sure that there are those such as Ron Bolin & Gord Fuller that will make Council aware of the feelings of the population..
It’s still a small town , don’t expect too many heros.