An outdoor sign and council training were just two of the many items locals said should be cut to bring Morinville's budget back into balance.
About 18 people came to Morinville's Community Cultural Centre Monday night for the first of two open houses on the town's 2012 budget. In an atypical move, council tabled a deficit budget earlier this month and has asked residents to choose how to bring it into balance.
This year's open houses ask residents to look at the business cases for 17 operational, 13 capital and six utility projects and to tell council which ones should be cut, kept, or enhanced.
The fact that they've drawn 18 people to this year's event suggests the new format is a success, said Mayor Lloyd Bertschi — in past years, they'd usually get six. "Hopefully, our turnout will be just as good on Wednesday."
Public weighs in
Residents at the open house generally approved of the new open house format.
While she said she didn't understand everything in the budget, Stacey Buga said she appreciated the chance to see it. "We did elect our officials, but I think them looking to us for guidance is a fantastic step towards a true democracy."
More and more governments seem to be adopting this strategy for their budgets, said teacher Monique Webb.
"Things have to be cut, and instead of cutting then listening to people complain, they're giving us the opportunity to say what we want."
Valerie Loseth, Cardiff resident and co-ordinator of the Morinville Centennial Community Garden, said she hoped council would keep the $677,000 item for the parks and open spaces master plan in the budget, as it would include funds to expand the garden.
"Going green is the direction the world is heading," she said, and the group's current garden is already full. A bigger plot would give more apartment dwellers a chance to grow their own food and create fresh fruit and vegetables for the food bank.
Loseth said that council might want to rethink its plan for a $71,000 outdoor message sign.
"I think if they had their website up and running a bit better and got a Facebook page, that would get a lot more people [informed]."
Buga said the four-per-cent tax increase was a little high, as the town had added a lot of homes but few amenities in the past year. "I don't totally see the purpose of that big of an increase."
Webb said she was fine with the hike, provided it led to better services. "I'd rather pay more and see results than pay the same and not get anything."
Council needed to focus on items that would bring people and businesses to town, Buga said, such as the proposed upgrades to the town's arena and library. "We need some major commercial development here."
Council should make its parks and trail system a priority in this year's budget, Webb said.
"We need to beautify our town — make it more environmentally and user-friendly for families."
Unlike other projects in the budget, such as a $50,000 item for public relations, the parks plan would produce immediate, tangible benefits for the community in the form of parks and trails.
The $10,000 item to help train elected officials seemed unnecessary, Webb said.
"Anyone looking to become an elected official should do [his or her] homework," she said, and there is plenty of free information available on how to be a councillor. "If you get elected and take the position, put the effort in to learn the job."
Influence?
Resident Linda Lyons was one of several people who wondered how these open houses would actually influence the budget. "If 10 people come here and say 'no' to a particular project, does that mean it doesn't go forward?"
Council still has the last word on the budget, Bertschi said, but would use the themes that emerged from these talks to shape their decisions.
Council holds a second open house on the budget at the cultural centre tonight at 6 p.m.
On the block
Morinville's town council tabled a draft budget earlier this month that featured a four-per-cent tax hike and a $50,732 operating deficit. It has asked residents to look at 17 operational, 13 capital and six utility projects and decide which, if any, should be cut or enhanced to eliminate this deficit. <br />Some of those projects include: <br />o $3.2 million to finish renovating St. Germain Plaza.<br />o $300,000 to bury the town's overhead power lines.<br />o $125,000 to upgrade the town's website and computers.<br />o $75,000 for the Couer de Morinville Area Structure Plan, which would create design guidelines for future development in downtown Morinville.<br />o $50,000 for public relations.<br />o $35,000 to plant trees.<br />o $21,00 for a truck-mounted valve exerciser - a device to open and close water valves so they don't rust shut. The device should double the number of valves that can be checked each year, and reduce leaks and repairs. <br />o $10,500 to put about 10 portable toilets in the town's parks.<br />Full descriptions of these projects, plus the budget, can be found at www.morinville.ca.
