No one considers the municipal layoffs at the City of Prince George a feel-good decision - after all, during election campaigns, most candidates made a point of reminding the public that real people are supporting real families thanks to those wages.
Of course voters wanted to hear that services would improve, taxes would go down and no one would be laid off - even when that is
clearly impossible.
The hard truth is that we can't have everything - we can't have better roads, more police, better parks and fewer taxes.
And in the end, we have a feeling the public will agree with cutbacks at City Hall, with sympathy to those who lost their jobs.
But here's a thought for the people who may be angry at those who signed off on
layoffs: where did the problem originate?
The reality is Prince George has seen years of massive budget items that included numerous multi-million-dollar commitments, such as the Winter Games, the new RCMP building, funding Initiatives Prince George, buying land for the proposed Performance Arts Centre, buying the former P.G. Hotel and an as-yet undetermined amount for the future Wood Innovation Centre.
There were surely good motives behind these decisions to advance the city - and down the road, that vision may very well pay off - but taken all together, it's become too big a bite for the city's ability to chew.
Fiscal responsibility was new mayor Shari Green's top priority, and it's what led her to the chair. Now it's highly probable that even she is surprised by just what it takes to reduce the budget, given what she's inherited.
Is it possible to cut 24 full time positions
without adversely affecting municipal services?
City administration is now examining what service levels can be achieved with the smaller workforce. And a core services review will determine where inefficiencies are taking place so shifts can be made that would cover all bases. (We can only imagine how grateful council members are for the lack of snow right about now.)
Some say the review should have been completed before the layoffs, some say the cost of up to $350,000 for the review is itself a waste.
The only certainty is the reality of running a city will always collide with the desire to stay clear of difficult, and maybe even unpopular decisions.
That, and hindsight is 20/20.
-- Prince George Citizen
