The Skeena Queen Charlotte Regional District which in recent times has been steeped in personnel drama, presented its financial statement for review last week, a document which shows that Regional District has ended up with a 200,000 dollar deficit as opposed to the 700,000 dollar surplus that the budget at one time suggested.
(from the blog a town called podunk, click on the link below to see the entire article atowncalledpodunk.blogspot.com/2 … html )
Prince Rupert citizens really should pay more attention to the regional district, considering that taxpayers put about $500,000 a year into that organization … to get what? … it largely deals with island problems.
There are other ways of running a recycling centre here … which has been cut back because of cost over-runs on the islands and in the administration … than having it under the regional district.
The regional district has an A/CAO and a deputy CAO … the city doesn’t have a deputy CAO. Their A/CAO is paid about as much as Mr Howie, although the regional district is a much smaller outfit. Directors meet twice a month but are paid about as much honouraria as city councillors who meet every two weeks. Island directors even have health plans paid for by the regional district … city councillors don’t get that.
The city really needs to start lobbying the province for alternatives … like letting the islanders have their own regional district and pay for their own administrative costs and perks of office. Rupert has its own problems and shouldn’t be subsidizing those guys.
BTravenn, you certainly have brought up some good points, you are correct about the councilors not getting paid, but there are two representatives from Council (Mayor and councilor) who are to represent PR at the table (btw they do get paid to go to the meetings including expenses on top of what they receive from council).
As for islanders, please let us not forget, without them, our economy would definitely be down the toilet. Many of the outlining communities shop here (plus some do go to Terrace), but if they are not staying with family here, hotels and restaurants do benefit.
I agree that the Regional District as well as PR needs more trimming at the top (Administration) with such high wages for the economy, I am still trying to understand how someone without degrees are making double (and some triple) to those who have worked hard for their education. It does not make sense, but the running of the City has always baffled me, guess it is who you know.
Yes, Mayor Mussallem was paid $11,388 and councillor Kinney $9,828 for sitting on the regional district last year. I wonder if additional honouraria tends to be a bit of a disincentive to take a hard look at what the regional district costs the city.
I’m all for the putting out the welcome mat to the outlying communities, both mainland and on the islands, but that’s more of a business issue. Curiously, the regional district does not participate in the Prince Rupert - Port Edward economic development commission … they seem to prefer to spend their ec dev dollars elsewhere.
Primarily, I question whether the city should be forking over so much money to a regional district whose biggest operations include a garbage dump on the other side of Hecate Strait, costly meetings and a Blue Cross plan that the taxpayers of Charlotte, Port and Masset are unwilling to pay for through their own municipalities.