Dismissing KPMG's Recommendation

Why pay for an independent "efficiencies" study and then summarily dismiss its recommendations?
Common sense recommendations.

Even when there are successful 10-year old examples such as Ottawa amalgamating with 10 surrounding communities.

That's just what Vernon has done, with Mayor Sawatzky's cursory dismissal of its findings.
Again and again.  

Seems all elected officials, including former Muni Minister Ida Chong, dismiss amalgamation.

And all along, Mayor Garlick of adjacent Coldstream walks the same walk as Sawatzky when considering the North Okanagan's governance.

But only the elected officials as this Letter to the Editor indicates.

February 17, 2013 The Morning Star
by Brandon Lee

"Wow.  So let me understand this.  Our current mayor is elected because one of his platforms was to see where they could reduce cost and create efficiencies.  Now the company, KPMG, hired to do the work, suggests amalgamation may save costs but the mayor refuses to consider it because it might stir up controversy and they would have to repair the level of dysfunction?

And all along, I thought we elected officials to make the tough decisions.

It really doesn't take rocket science to figure out that there are huge tax dollars being spent because our local politicians don't want to stir up controversy.

Within a five-minute drive is the municipality of Coldstream which has its own council and staff -- all paid for by tax dollars of course.  And yet, Coldstream really is a bedroom community of Vernon because there really isn't a business core in Coldstream at all and most people who live in Coldstream go to work elsewhere.  

Around the corner, we have RDNO which has a huge building of its own -- again paid by tax dollars.  You really have to wonder exactly what it is that RDNO does as I'm sure there's a good sum that's necessary to maintain that operation.

So at the end of the day, none of the politicians within the Greater Vernon area really want to consider amalgamation because obviously some politicians won't have their apple box to stand on and that just wouldn't be acceptable now, would it?

Never mind the possible tax dollars that could be saved considering this.

How about this novel idea instead?  Put it up as an election issue and see how the Greater Vernon population feel about it and let the taxpayers decide.
Brandon Lee."


"But make it binding," stipulates Kia, remembering the referendum on DoC's municipal hall...which was built anyway.
   
Novel idea indeed.