Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Myth 1 North Van is just like Halifax, Ottawa or (gasp) Toronto

Mayor Mussatto likes to create the analogy that all municipal amalgamations are the same and we would be doomed to walk the same steps to a more expensive local government.  In his words from a North Shore News article;

"But, Mussatto cautioned, while the thought of amalgamations of like-municipalities may "feel good," they rarely, if ever, result in the cost savings the local governments were hoping to see.


The evidence is pretty clear if you do any research that if you do it for financial reasons, you're not going to save any money," he said.


Mussatto pointed to the 1996 amalgamation of Halifax, Darmouth and Bedford as an example. Post-amalgamation, the city piled on millions more in debt in the ensuing years.


The reason, he stated, is that amalgamations come with nasty growing pains, as taxpayers in neither municipality are eager to see their services go down to match their neighbours' service levels, so servicing and costs go up for both former neighbours.


Differences in delivery of services between private sector and union city staff that have evolved in two local governments are also notoriously difficult to marry together, he added, citing garbage collection for multi-family residences and business as an example."


Of course, it was the resulting Council that voted to spend more money and the realities of the specific union contracts in their area that increased spending, Councils unfriendly to the Liberal Government implemented the amalgamation in such a way so there would be no savings. The Liberal Government campaigned against a merger to defeat the PC Government but once elected forced an amalgamation process. (Gasp - shades of the HST).

The mergers or rather annexations had been going on in Halifax and Dartmouth for over a decade as they swallowed most of their suburbs.

A report done by the former PC Government predicted that the amalgamation would save over $20 million a year in a resulting Halifax that merged core urban rather depressed areas, suburban areas and large rural areas. In effect they took a BC style regional area (our fourth level of government) and made it the only local government of 350,000.

What situation caused this amalgamation to provide savings and are effected by the same challenges in North Van? The employees in smaller areas demanded that they receive the same (higher) pay as the urban counterparts.  In fact as one muncipality was formed they also formed one bargaining unit and a single contract would have to neogiated with their unions.

The North Van situation is entirely different.  CUPE 389 represents both the City and the District. Each has a contract that expired on 31 Dec 2011 and we have a wait for an update. 

The city contract is here www.metrovancouver.org/services/labour/Agreements/North_Vancouver_City_Inside-Ourside-CUPE_389-2007-11.pdf and article 10.2 refers to amalgamation directly. 
"10.2 Amalgamation 

 In the event of a vote in favour of amalgamation in both the City and District of North 
Vancouver there will be established, within thirty (30) days of the execution of the City 
and District uniting agreement, a joint committee of Management and labour consisting 
of one (1) to be appointed by each of the two Councils and two (2) to be appointed by 
the Union to consider and make recommendations with respect to matters dealing with 
the integration of employees whose positions are affected by the amalgamation. "

The District contract is here www.metrovancouver.org/services/labour/Agreements/NVD_CUPE_389_2007-11.pdf and Article 9.2 refers to amalgamation directly.
"9.2 In Event of City and District Amalgamation 

 In the event of a vote in favour of amalgamation in both the City and District of North 
Vancouver, there will be established, within thirty (30) days of the execution of the City 
and District uniting agreement, a joint committee of Management and Labour 
consisting of one to be appointed by each of the two Councils and two to be appointed 
by the Union to consider and make recommendations with respect to matters dealing 
with the integration of employees whose positions are affected by the amalgamation"

Of it is exactly the same as is most of the contract as is most 50 job categories and pay.  Of course the city does not have a golf course attendant category but the differences are easily merged together.  Despite the expiry of the contracts almost two years ago, new contracts have not been signed.

Mayor Mussatto claims that "taxpayers in neither municipality are eager to see their services go down to match their neighbours' service levels". It is not taxpayers that increase taxes but Councillors. I'd like to see North Van examples of specific services thta would cost us more or that a new Council would be forced by rampaging mobs to boost up, let's say, recycling as an example, oh bad example since both municipalities in fact are part of a North Shore wide recycling program.

Mayor Mussatto also cites the example of garbage collection and privatized services. In the City now, we have different standards of collection and recycling.  If you are renter in an apartment building or an owner in a strata condo, close to half of the City residents, a private company under contract with building or strata council does the collection.  In you are in a private residence, they City does your collection.  The District has the same situation but the ratio is vastly different. 

If the nuts and bolts become overwhelmly to you, think it a certain way.  The core of the task is a merger of the two budgets. There's an old saying "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer of course is "One bite at a time". Each bite is a cost center to be addressed to figure out how we will save taxpayer money.  Over the next month or so, I shall publish several separate articles that each looks at one spending area as this is already very long.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Board members needed in both City and District orgs

Now that we have launched our new political party, it's time to recruit members and Board Members.  The Party will have three components, a Society Board and two Electoral Organization as they are called by the Local Government Act. It is these two Boards where the work needs to be done to build both arms of the political party.

The City Board, chaired by George Pringle and the District Board chaired by Bruce Gilmour both need a Vice-Chair, a Secretary-Treasurer, a Membership Chair, a Fundraising Chair and up to 4 Directors at Large.  Each position is a task that needs to be done. Gathering memberships and donations are paramount.

Our website is unitenorthvan.ca and the City Board can be contacted at unite.northvan@gmail.com and the District Board can be contacted at nsalmagamation@gmail.com if you wish to be a member or more active as a Board member.