HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ALL THESE INCREASES?

Not sure what to call this one? Its all about 

BUDGET, WAGES and JOB LOSS!

Most of you reading this post have been employed in some aspect in you lives. Whether you hold the all important role of the caregiver, homemaker, worked for a mom and pop company, a multi national corporation, were self employed, you’ve likely held a job. Fair to say that you have paid taxes, had wage increases and losses, have suffered job loss or a job change of your own making. Sometimes those same jobs presented you with an opportunity for you to define your working conditions, your shift and maybe even how you would be remunerated.

The last few years in the Province of Alberta there has been significant job losses due to a number of factors but the most significant is that we have been in the midst of a recession. Taxes have risen for businesses and workers alike. The cost of living has increased. Mortgage rates have begun to rise and the qualifying process has taken a total right turn to ensure that people are not in a situation of debt that they cannot manage. Albertans personal debt has sky rocketed. All of this contributes to our current state where job loss continues as does wage reductions and freezes.

Global News just laid off 70 people. Shaw just revealed that it offered buyouts to 6500 people and expected about 10% to take them up on it. What their plan is, is to reduce costs by 40 to 50 million annually. Cenovus laid off thousands as did Suncor and again in their Syncrude acquisition. The recession cost, according to Robson Fletcher of the CBC, was 2400 layoffs per month, every month for a year and a half. In yet another CBC article written by Ryan Rumbolt, Janet Salopek, an HR consultant states that Alberta is still facing hard times due to competitor and thinning profit margins. She indicated that there were a lot of layoffs and they are not bringing people back. “If they are, its at significantly reduced wages.”

April of 2017 the Alberta Teachers Association ratified an agreement that saw a zero salary increase after “dire warnings of belt tightening in economically difficult times.” Education Minister David Eggen said, “any negotiated salary must be both fair to teachers and affordable to taxpayers.”

Fast forward to January 8, 2018 and the United Nurses of Alberta, 30,000 registered nurses are reviewing mediators recommendations for zero percent wage increase for two years. UNA President Heather Smith is quoted that the UNA did not enter bargaining with high expectations of “huge monetary gains” “We went to the bargaining table mindful of the economic environment that surrounds us.”

February 13, 2018 a report published in the Edmonton Journal written by Janet French brings to light some additional considerations. There are a number of comparisons in this article and the one that is particularly interesting to LSARA is one that identifies that “new restrictions on CEO pay are expected to push down salaries at agencies, boards and commissions by 14%.” “Public sector managers and non unionized public employees are in the midst of a two year wage freeze.” “While the Alberta workers earnings slumped and unemployment rose, superintendents salaries continued to grow.”

You may remember that in 2017 LSARA put forth a number of FOIP requests to Lac Ste Anne County Council and Administration. When our requests were not satisfied, we put them forward to the FOIP commissioners office. One of these requests, 2017-005-014 has come to a conclusion with the receipt of the employment contract of the County Manager of Chief Administration Officer as many of you will know the position. For reference purposes, this particular contract was entered into and signed by the previous Mayor and Council. It was signed on December 2, 2016. A few highlights from the contract

1) Contract effective from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019 unless termination pursuant to Article 9 of the Agreement.

2) Salary (this is visible in the budgets that are released) $146,000 annually

3) Monthly travel allowance of $2000.00

4) Jan 1, 2018 and Jan 1, 2019 salary increase of $5000 plus a cost of living increase based on consumer price index.

5) Jan 1, 2018 and Jan 1, 2019 travel allowance cost of living increase based on consumer price index.

6) Annual performance evaluations will be conducted by county council as per Section 205.1 of the MGA in writing.

7) County to discuss whether they intend to negotiate a new contract and provide the employee with its decision prior to December 31, 2018 to allow the employee to consider his options prior to the final end date of December 31, 2019.

8) Annual vacation 6 weeks per year for the remainder of the term.

9) Expense reimbursement – County shall reimburse employee for all expenses according to applicable County Council approved expense policies.

Obviously the contract contains a lot more than just the items we have shared here. We thought these were areas where we could provide additional insight and provoke some ratepayer discussion. Comments will follow in the same order.

1) Termination clauses in article 9 terms are very broad but there are a couple that are outstanding. B) In the event of any serious or three repeated breaches or non-observances by the Employee of any of the stipulations contained in this Agreement or the County Policies or procedures.

You need to know that the CAO, Manager whatever title you choose to use, has the ability to write policy and procedure. Very easy to protect yourself when you can write it in if you do make that mistake. Remember the Farmer report? Where it was indicated that there was a breach wherein the CAO acted without the authority for 6 months? I would consider that a serious breach.

2) Salary – Some of you may think that this is a reasonable salary for a County Manager or CAO. You must remember a few things here first. All of the current Managers courses to become the CAO were paid for by you, the taxpayer. The last CAO was in the chair until October of 2012 after 37 years of dedicated service. I can tell you that he never came close that number in salary.

3) Monthly travel allowance – Who gets $2000 a month to drive to work? I sure don’t! I see nowhere in this contract that states that he has to show up at the office everyday to get this money so he gets it regardless of whether he takes advantage of the sick clause in his contract that could allow up to 90 days at a time or not!

4) Again, a salary increase with provision of cost of living on the raise. Most people have either taken a wage roll back to keep their jobs or they have been at a wage freeze or lost their jobs entirely! WHY did the council agree to this increase?

5) Same comments for the cost of living increase on the travel allowance.

6) Performance evaluation – there is a standard document that is to be utilized for this evaluation. We know that the performance evaluation was not completed for 2017. How is a wage increase, cost of living increases valid WITHOUT this evaluation? Has the proper forms been used and who has previously completed the evaluation? This is not something we can FOIP due to privacy issues.

7) SO how many people do you know that actually even know if they will have a job in a month, a year, two years? I don’t! Why are we making sure that we set up provisions for an employee so that he has a years option. Interesting point to note, we have to give a year but he doesn’t have to give the county a year. “9.5 The employee may terminate this Agreement at any time by providing the County sixty (60) days notice in writing to that affect, which notice shall be delivered to the Council of the County at a regular meeting of Council.” So essentially he can design his own exit whenever it suits him with 60 days notice but we have to provide him a year.

Some of the miscellaneous items of the contract also give pause in some situations but fair be it to say that this contract is a one way contract. It does not best represent the people of Lac Ste Anne County. The previous CAO was a dedicated employee that retired after 37 years of service and he NEVER received 6 weeks paid vacation. He also didn’t aspire to attend every conference that he could sign up for and have the people of LSAC pay for them.

This county has seen no growth or direction in the 5 years that the current County Manager has been in charge. We have seen division in the ranks of council, we have seen the efforts of some to try to bring about the same division in the people of LSAC. How we responded is exactly how we need to continue to respond, with all Seven Divisions. Some were left unrepresented for over a year because of recommendations that were made. Divisions were changed, much unrest continued in the County due to Land Use Bylaw changes, Land fill charges, County administration expenditures, lack of policies to deal with every day council business.

We have seen many staff additions to the organizational chart where we had no need before, do we now? LSARA asked for job descriptions that would help us understand the roles and the reason for the role. There have been more added since that time. Are we filling the offices? Is that what we are doing because we sure haven’t grown to have to be adding people to the administration! Maybe a shuffle of people from one department to another if that is what is necessary but please, people, stop the hiring!

Council in their January 25th 2018 Regular council meeting approved an “up to” 800 stall storage yard on Lot 3, Block 1, Plan 162409, within 14-54-05-W5M. Some of the conditions are interesting one of which is the approval from Alberta Transportation. Now, we are certainly all about business and ensuring that our County base of businesses grow. However, when there are concerns raised about this very intersection for another project which the County spoke to requiring traffic studies, potential traffic flow concerns and all of a sudden that is no longer a concern. Recent changes to the LUB, the 2017 LUB goes up on the website then it comes down and the 2016 goes up. Which one are we held to? Which one is more friendly to these types of projects? In  AG2 Zoning I might add. That is the farthest thing from agricultural use that I can imagine. The property has been subdivided after being sold well below the listed price. Speculation would be that if the value is less, then it costs less to subdivide.

Now further application all from the same people who should be held to the same standards as the rest of us are in fact even higher due to position. Can we verify that all the land use bylaws that were in place remain? One area that we can tell you is the description of what Recreational Vehicle Storage was and is now. In 2016 15.1.148 “Recreational Vehicle (RV) Storage” means land used or intended to be used for storing recreational vehicles and includes all buildings or structures hereon.” In the Bylaw 22-2017 15.1.150 “Recreational Vehicle (RV) Storage” means land used or intended to be used for the "commercial" storing recreational vehicles and includes all buildings or structures thereon. Do you see the difference here? Will this business be charged commercial rates as it should be?

LSAC Council Minutes Jan. 25 2018 Click to View

63-18 Council also approved Policy 01-006 Honorarium for Council as presented. 
What was presented? Word on the street is that council have already given themselves a raise.

69-18 Council approved the 2018 budget for salaries, wages and benefits with $340,000 increase from the 2017 budget for salaries, wages and benefits.

This goes right back to the body of this article. How do we continue to support all these increases? Increases that we have no way of knowing how we will pay for. We told you a zero percent tax increase last year was going to cost us 10% this year. We already are adding to expenditures when the budget has not been done. Linear assessments once again this year will be lower. WE lost a million dollars in 2016 remember?

There are challenges ahead for this new council. How they manage them is going to be the part where we hope as Ratepayers we get an opportunity to influence our own future. We know that LSARA remains an important part of that influence as we speak for large numbers of people. 2500 people reading our blog in less than 24 hours tells us we are on the right track. The Ratepayers of the County of Lac Ste Anne still want to be heard.

We are currently offering free membership. You can access the form to join by going to our Facebook page Lac Ste Anne Ratepayers Association and follow the links provided.

Making a difference with few is very difficult, but making a difference with many becomes very easy. We hope to see you at our February 20th meeting at Gunn at 7 PM.