Introduction


I do the best I know how, the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing it to the end.  If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me will not amount to anything.  If the end brings me out all wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference

Abraham Lincoln     

 
 

 

 

Recent Blog Posts

Water Rate Discussion

Submitted by Lori on Tue, 2008/12/16 - 10:21pm

I read the article on Water Rates in the daily news. 

The water rate options we received outlined the options for rates with the objectives we gave to our staff as being important:  Conservation and Revenue Sufficiency.  With this in mind, 5 options were created and presented.  We chose option 5.  This will give our residents and businesses opportunities to save if they use simple methods of conservation.  Interestingly in 2006 and 2008 when we had very dry years, there was far less water used in 2008 with the community thinking conservation.  With option #5, the water usage data shows that 53% of the residents will save money and 48% of the commercial will save as well.  There will be approximately 40% commercial accounts that will see an increase.

Our staff will now take our decision and create a bylaw for consideration. 

There are other rates that we had to consider: Bulk water; Out of town users; Unmetered properties (refusals); 5% early payment discount; and Heavy industry.

  1. Bulk Water:  Grande Prairie is $5.64/m3.  Ours is now $2.50/m3
  2. Out of town users:  Airport & Charlie Lake now $2.50/m3
  3. Unmetered properties: will now be billed $150/quarter
  4. 5% early payment discount - approved
  5. OSB plant to be negoriated separately due to an unratified agreement that is presently in place.

I really hope this helps - call or email me if you need further clarification.

Stay Warm

Lori

 

 

 

Inaugral Meeting

Submitted by Lori on Mon, 2008/12/01 - 8:38pm

This opportunity for me to continue in your confidence as a Councilor for the Energetic city is an honour and a privilege. 
 
I want to thank my family, my husband Andy and our children for their undying support over the past 3 years through thick and thin. 
 
I want to thank my campaign team for their support and commitment. My campaign manager and task master Andy, and those who assisted him. In particular Ella, Jane, Shellina, John and many others working behind the scene to support and mentor me.
 
We are moving onward.
 
And so to my colleagues,
 
We initiated opportunities to hear our community’s thoughts about the direction our city should be heading in the future. 
 
We have taken those thoughts and ideas and our staff are moving forward in developing new direction for the community to grow in a sustainable fashion, financially, environmentally and socially.
During the past 8 weeks, the one topic of discussion that has yet to fade is the recognition of the truth. Listening to Rex Murphy when asked about what President Elect Obama can bring to the White House, he indicated that there is a great thirst in the electorate for the truth to be known. To understand is for the veil of unease to be lifted. 
 
This council must lift that veil. It will be our responsibility to correct those misconceptions - those misunderstandings. I look forward to these discussions with this council.
 
I would like to borrow some thoughts from a book by Peter Legge,
 
  • Personality helps
  • Drive and focus make a difference
  • Passion plays a part
  • Education certainly makes a contribution
  • Connections will open doors
  • But don’t dare go to work without character
 
Helen Keller said that character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened vision cleared ambition inspired and success achieved.
 
I look forward to working with you.
 
To our City Staff
Each of our staff and departments are like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that come together to make the whole picture. 
 
It has been such a time of challenges and growth for many of you and you have taken up the yoke of challenge and faced our future with us with determination. 
 
You have shown the resolve and fortitude to ensure to the best of your ability, a safe and sound community. One that is safe from both internal and external threats. 
 
The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit. This council must know that you can only continue to plant those trees for our community if we can give you the seedling.
 
I thank you for your dedication.
 
To my community,
We live in one of the most attractive small cities in Canada. There is no community in Canada that has summer and sunshine 365 days of the year; they don’t have garbage that magically disappears; they don’t have facilities that have not been paid for by their community; they don’t all have perfect roads. If you are recalling such a community, go back and visit it again. 
 
Our confidence in the value of our community is a fundamental ingredient to how we see our community, how we speak of our community and even more importantly, how we allow others to speak of our community. Confidence in our community is contagious but so is lack of confidence.
 
We could learn a lot from crayons, some are sharp, some are pretty, and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colours. But they all have to live in the same box.
 
Thank you and God bless you all.

Utility rates

Submitted by Lori on Thu, 2008/11/20 - 2:29pm

Before I get into today's discussion, I just want to share yesterday's workshop with you.  I went to Farm Credit Canada's Forum in Grande Prairie.  The forum had three key note addresses Rex Murphy; Joan McCusker; and Dave Chilton.  There is way too much to say in this wee blog paragraph but let me say this.  If you EVER get an opportunity to hear any of these people - DO IT!

Okay so Monday November 17th, we discussed the Tax Ratios and Utility Rates.  The article really didn't portray the discussion or presentations so here is the information.  BTW all of this can be found on the city's website www.fortstjohn.ca  and just look for the Budget 2009 logo on the banner (right side if I recall.)

The intention of this discussion was to help define the objectives and philosophy that will guide the design of water rates for the City of Fort St. John.  Reader's Digest version - what exactly are we trying to achieve with the water rates.

We need to know here that costs include operations, maintenance, debt servicing, capital works, and contribution to reserves

When designing a rate, there were points to consider:

 

  • Many different ways to structure water rates
  •  
  • No right or wrong way, every community is different
  •  
  • Important to be very clear on what objectives the City wishes to achieve
  •  
  • The focus of the discussion was to be on defining the philosophy and objectives that staff will apply in creating the rate structure

Six different philosophies reviewed were:

Revenue Sufficiency
Revenue raised from water rates is sufficient to properly and prudently operate, maintain and develop utility infrastructure.
 
Revenue Stability and Customer Certainty
The City can predict with some confidence the total amount of revenue that will be raised from water rates, & the customer can predict with some certainty what their bill will be
 
Equity
The rate structure is non-discriminating and users pay for what they use
 
Conservation
The rate structure promotes the conservation of water?
 
Simplicity
The rate structure is easy to understand
 
Freedom from Controversy
The rate structure is not controversial among the different customer classes (egs. dramatic rate changes or rate breaks to certain customer classes)

Council was asked by staff for our top 2 philosophies.  Mine were Revenue Sufficiency and Conservation.  These two philosophies are able to ensure that the rates cover operations, maintenance, debt servicing, capital works, and contribution to reserves and give incentive to conserve. 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me lackerman@fortstjohn.ca

On another note, the Snow Angel program is up and running if you need assistance for removing snow or are able to assist someone with snow removal call the City 250.785.8150 to register for this program.  Last year Andy and I had 2 families we assisted and it was a wonderful opportunity to give your neighbour a hand.

Stay warm - see you all at the Santa Clause parade!!

Lori

 

 

 

OMG the Tax issue again!

Submitted by Lori on Tue, 2008/11/18 - 8:20pm

I read the front page of the AHN.  I was at that meeting and I was paying attention and I cannot tell you what "angle" was being delivered in that article.

We received three reports from our City Manager, the 2009 Tax Ration Review; the 2009 Utility Rate review; and finally a draft calendar for meetings for the development of the budget.

Tonight's blog:  The 2009 Tax Ratio Review.

 

Property Tax Ratios distribute the tax burden between the property classes relative to the residential tax ratio, which is always equal to “one”.  Example: A property tax ratio of 2 would pay twice the amount of municipal tax as a similarly valued residential property.  In British Columbia each community establishes their own tax rate and tax ratio.
 
First of all, here is a summary of the 2008 Municipal General Revenue Property Tax Rates between FortSt. John and
our closest 2 Neighboring BC Cities
 
 

Cities
Fort St. John
Dawson Creek
Prince George
Example Properties
Single Family Residential
4.722
4.85
 6.569
Business
14.015
21.15
14.965
Light Industry
27.5
25.39
15.389
Major Industry
25
42.29
47.709

 

When you do the math to take the 4.722 to "1" (4.722 / 4.722 = 1) and you do the rest i.e. 14.015 / 4.722 = 2.97 for the Business you would get the following figures:

 
 
Average 2008 Tax Multiples by Property Class
 
Class 4
Major Industry
Class 5
Light Industry
Class 6
Business
Class 1
Residential
City of Fort St. John
5.29
5.82
2.97
1
All BC Municipalities
5.37
3.94
2.99
1
Cities with Populations from 10,000 & 30,000
8.65
4.54
3.35
1
Northern Municipalities
9.48
4.96
3.08
1
Resource Municipalities
11.05
5.13
3.30
1
City of Dawson Creek
8.72
5.24
4.36
1

Now because we were questioned by our Business community about the Tax Ratio, we are considering contracting a Commissioner to review this for our community.  The funds would come from a Grant through the Northern Development Trust Fund.

Our City Manager has done a tremendous amount of research on this and has recommended the City appoint Dr. Stanley W. Hamilton, Professor of Real Estate with the Sauder School of Business as the Property Tax Policy Review Commissioner.

Dr. Hamilton has strong expertise in taxation, public policy, public finance and economics; He has an appreciation of the impacts of any changes to the tax distribution on both residential and non-residential taxpayers.

I'll blog on the Utility rate review tomorrow - good night!!  Lori

 

Our future

Submitted by Lori on Mon, 2008/11/17 - 9:15pm

We have just been through an election that will be remembered for many councils to come.  Whatever your feelings are on the outcome, the outcome is as it is and we will move on. 

It is our role as a Council to continue to make this Communtiy one that families and businesses will want to come to.  If you look at the publications that consider the communities and their attributes, you will see that Fort St John is doing very well.  What is absolutely hilarious is that we are the ONLY ones who like to line up the shotgun on our own foot.  Francis Bacon said " A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds."  So when we stop to criticize, we are missing opportunities.  Aim the shotgun else where my friends, we have work to do and opportunties to find. 

Our decision to move forward with a Commission to seek input into the ratio for taxes here in the Community will certainly help in the creation of a sustainable policy for development of the millrates.  For more information on this, go to http://www.fortstjohn.ca   Scroll down to the Budget 2009 icon and then click onto the Agenda for Nov 17 and scroll down to the Administration reports.  You will see the reports, we reviewed this afternoon.

Have a great day!

more