Take these and give me a call in 2011
Year-end reviews have piled up over the past week, particularly on the local scene. Instead of looking back, however, I’d rather give my top five political prescriptions for what the Vision Vancouver majority needs in the coming 12 months.
And let’s get something straight. Praise is not what Penny Ballem deserves, considering that refusing such a pay raise is indicative of basic common sense – a filter that fervent political observers sometimes lack (and that at times includes myself).
Inspiration for Gregor Robertson and Penny Ballem as they shape the upcoming budget.
Just read over the administrative report from the General Manager of Financial Services to City Council on the 2010 Operating Budget estimates.
“Council had provided direction in a number of areas that helped inform the 2010 Budget strategy:
- Minimize property tax increases over two to three years
- Maintain all necessary health and safety standards
- Protect services to vulnerable populations
- Protect arts and culture
- Invest in economic development including optimize Olympic opportunity
- Support greenest city initiatives
- Examine the service delivery of all city services and streamline to make more efficient
- Strategically implement any reductions to services to minimize the impact as much as possible on citizens and staff”
A couple of thoughts:
Hot off the presses:
“Memorandum: 2010 Operating Budget” from City Manager from Penny Ballem.
So, 158 FTE out of a total city staff of about 10,000 is far less that I was expecting. These could shockingly be the most innocuous of the cuts. Let’s see where they go next.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Vancouver’s West End is 204 hectares and is home to 44,000 people (as at 2006) and has increased 5.8% in the previous 5 years and 66% moved since the last census. 61% speak English as their mother tongue. The majority are in the 20-39 year old age group. 59% are one person households, with 8,710 families and an average household inome of $38,000. There is a total of over 28,000 private households.
“We’re really asking people to be respectful of the diversity of our community. People live down here because of the diversity, they feel safe within diversity, and that’s a really important value for us.” – Brent Granby, West End Resident’s Association
