Auditor general introduced for muncipalities

Mayor elect Shari Green said she doesn't plan to wait for the creation of an auditor general for local governments to take action on reducing costs at City Hall.

On Thursday the provincial government introduced legislation to create an Office of the Auditor General for Local Government. Under the bill, the auditor general would conduct performance audits on specific local government operations and release public reports making recommendations on how to improve cost-effectiveness.

"From my perspective, I don't want to wait and see what they come up with. I don't think you're going to see the municipal auditor general up and running until the summer - it won't be debated until the spring [session of the Legislature]," Green said.

Green said she hopes to see a core service review conducted in the city as soon as possible. Once that is complete, Green said, she hopes that Prince George could be a model for other municipalities in the province.

However, she said, the best practices and reports produced by the auditor general may be of use in the future.

"There is probably some great examples of municipal services... We're going to have to wait and see what they come up with," she said.

Returning city councillor Murry Krause, who serves on the executive of the Union of B.C. Municipalities, said the province has responded to some of the initial concerns raised by the union.

"Certainly there has been significant discussions between UBCM and the provincial government on this file," Krause said. "We're receptive and open to more transparency and accountability."

UBCM's position on the issue is that an auditor general is not needed, but if one is to be created, it should not compromise the autonomy of local governments.

"One of the other concerns from the very beginning ... was where was the funding for this initiative coming from? The province will fund the auditor general in its entirety," he said. "To the credit of Minister [Ida] Chong, the provincial government has listened to municipalities."

"This government is committed to being open, and the Auditor General for Local Government would provide British Columbians with the opportunity to access audit reports about the value they are getting for their money," Chong said in a written statement. "The same reports would give local governments important information about how to streamline processes and identify the most efficient use of public funds, maximizing the use of taxpayer dollars."