There’s still time to get engaged, and you don’t need a ring.
Residents of the Town of View Royal have until the end of March to weigh in on the budget using the 2021 Citizen Budget engagement tool. The process, which View Royal began in 2020, provides citizens with the opportunity to provide input and opinion on the annual budget before the final adoption of the 2021-25 financial plan.
Mayor David Screech hopes more people will take part this year. “It’s an opportunity to provide constructive feedback and increases transparency and community engagement,” he said.
Citizen Budget allows participants to enter their property value and allocate their personal tax bill across the various municipal departments.
It demonstrates how choices residents make in each area would affect their tax bill if those changes were implemented, and also suggests some of the potential implications changes could have in the affected services.
Benefits include increased citizen engagement, improved community relations, and a better understanding of the municipal budgeting process. The process allows citizens to provide assistance to municipal officials in making difficult decisions, especially when dealing with limited public resources. It also presents an opportunity to learn about local government and to deliberate, debate, and potentially influence the allocation of public resources.
Results will be considered by council and shared with the public prior to the adoption of View Royal’s 2021-2025 financial plan. The deadline to participate is 4:30 p.m. on March 31.
Visit viewroyal2021.ethelo.net to participate in Citizen Budget or more information.
rick.stiebel@goldstream
gazette.com
