With several supporters behind them, figuratively and literally, the Timmins Taxpayers Association offered up their suggestions for council's consideration on Wednesday evening at city hall. When all was said and done, the discussion lasted for over an hour, and featured a few raised voices.
"We're here tonight to provide insight and suggestions, not to debate. We feel its up to council to weight the merits of our suggestions, and debate amongst themselves. In the past we have made suggestions that weren't always very well received," said Logan McMeekin of the association, who was joined by fellow member Alex Szczebonski.
McMeekin laid out the areas of concern for the fiscal watchdog organization, which is alleged to have over 100 paying members, with a lot of them centred around the core services review performed by KPMG. The association wanted to know if there was an implementation plan for the $7 million dollars of cost-saving suggestions in the report.
"We're wondering if there is a plan to release another update to show the public the current savings to date that have been found," she said, adding that the $7 million dollars in savings would roughly equate to a ten per cent reduction in taxes.
They also requested that council give serious consideration to a return to the committee system of municipal governance.
"There's a growing concern amongst taxpayers that city council relinquishes a majority of its governance role to administration. We believe that its time to give serious consideration to return to a committee system," she said, noting that Thunder Bay and Sudbury both have Committee Systems.
"This method was used for decades in the past, but then we did move to a committee of the whole," said McMeekin. "Now rather than councillors being intimately familiar with a few areas, everyone is expected to be a little familiar with all areas."
The group also suggested getting OPP costing numbers, which could potentially replace the city's police force. The association said the city is 'double policed.'
Among the touchiest subjects in the chambers in recent years has been the Golden Manor. The Timmins Taxpayers Association made its sentiments known once again towards moving the facility to a not-for-profit private facility.
"The fact of the matter, is that this is one of the biggest areas where cost savings can be found," said McMeekin. "The Golden Manor has the highest operational costs in the province for a long-term care facility, and all we've seen is increases."
The association also voiced its displeasure at the newly named 'Stars and Thunder' music and fireworks festival, and how a $3.5 million taxpayer expenditure came into public knowledge.
"It's not our intention to undermine this event, but we do not support the gambling with taxpayers money like this. Even if the week long festival is successful and breaks even, or even makes money, we still believe that the way in which this event has come to the public's attention was neither transparent nor responsible," said McMeekin. "To date the transparency about this event has been extremely weak."
The association wants the city to post a business plan for the event, with confidential information excluded, or at the 'very minimum' an independent audit done for the entire enterprise.
McMeekin also said the association is opposed to the idea of spending half of a million dollars on a study to determine the feasibility of expanding the McIntyre Arena, an idea put forth by Councillor Joe Campbell. She said that although she loves 'The Mac' and attends Timmins Rock games often, the facility is aging, and will need to be replaced eventually.
"To be realistic, the building is over 70-years-old. We think its time to give some serious thought about options for a future facility for Timmins."
She also spoke about rural road maintenance, and a perceived lack of transparency by the city in terms of providing valuable information to the public.
McMeekin finished the presentation with some advice for council.
"During the budget process we know that you'll hear from various departments, maybe asking for increases. We come here tonight as a group of taxpayers, as a reminder that we would like also like something, and that is either keep the status quo, or a reduction in our taxes. The argument that taxes are just going to go up and we just have to get used to it is not justified in this municipality where our taxes are already identified as the fastest growing in the province" she said.
Councillors had plenty to say in response, we will have that story soon.