A growing contingent of Lacombe taxpayers is demanding changes over what it says is a lack of government transparency concerning municipal finances.
The Lacombe Taxpayers Association is frustrated that council isn’t asking the tough questions over the city’s financial situation and that they are handling some issues with either misinformation or lack of information, according to spokesman and secretary Glen Walushka.
“We don’t think the tone of the city council over the last few terms has been as open and transparent as it needs to be and it appears the new council, despite some changes, appears to be going down the same road,” Walushka said.
The taxpayers association held its first meeting on Oct. 23 and since then has accumulated 30 paid members.
Membership is $10, money which goes toward advertising and researching issues. Walushka said people are signing up daily and include business owners and former councillors.
The relationship between council and administration is worrisome because there seems to be little or no debate on issues, he added.
“It seems like administration puts forward some initiatives and proposals and council just ratifies them,” said Walushka, adding association representatives have attended every city council meeting since the October election.
“Our concern is that it’s done with very little dialogue . . . it’s leading us to believe that administration is managing, not council.”
The taxpayers association had hoped to speak at the upcoming council meeting on Monday when the 2011 operating budget is expected to be passed.
Administration received the request on Wednesday and has since told them that the agenda is full and that the group will have to wait until Feb. 14, said Mayor Steve Christie.
Christie said he’s never seen council act with greater transparency than now, after first being elected as councillor six years ago. He became mayor in October.
“I’ve never seen so much discussion at council,” he said. “I’ve been told by media that council is finally talking and asking a lot more questions and able to.”
Every single memo, agenda item goes on the city’s website at 3 p.m. on Friday before Monday’s council meeting.
But the taxpayers’ group has grave concerns about what’s happening at the municipal level — that council will pass the 2011 operating budget without even having the city’s financial statements for 2009 in front of them.
The 2010 financial statements aren’t required to be handed into the province until May.
City council had requested more than a month ago to get information on the size of the municipal debt, but so far hasn’t received that data from administration, Walushka said. Michael Minchin, acting chief administrative officer, said the debt balances will be put on the city’s website when finished, so all of the public can see.
“It’s probably my finance department just hasn’t put it on there,” he said.
The 2009 statements are currently before the auditors, he added.
As with all municipalities, Lacombe is dealing with a Tangible Capital Assets inventory and that project has dragged on longer than anticipated.
That’s why the recent statements haven’t been done yet, Minchin said.
The association is also concerned that the city may have bungled getting a grant for the Lacombe Memorial Centre because proper application procedures weren’t followed.
It’s also disturbed that the city is competing with Lacombe businesses, including running a coffee bar that is losing money at the Memorial Centre.
Minchin said the city is negotiating on the Canada-Alberta rural infrastructure grant, which can provide up to $2.6 million for the Memorial Centre’s heating and insulation components.
It’s a matching grant involving $1.3 million each from the federal and provincial governments, plus $1.3 million municipally.
The municipality must show expense claims in order to qualify and more information is required.
“We’ve been in discussions with the province for a while trying to figure out the final number for the grant itself,” said Minchin.
“We’ve had a difference of opinion as to how much money we should get and that’s held up the entire grant.”
Administration suggested closing the coffee bar, which would have saved about $23,000 in 2011.
Council elected to keep it funded in 2011.
The city has run it for three years, but a review will be done this year, said Minchin.
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com