City councillors can start their decision-making process.
With the core services review now tabled, Nanaimo city council can move forward with business it has been putting off, including capital projects.
Councillors, by asking staff last week to report on ways to move forward with core review recommendations, showed an appetite to effect change. They’ve agreed that they’re satisfied to continue with the existing strategic plan, except with a new batch of priority projects. Discussion of certain projects had been deferred, but can now resume.
The core review, chock-full of budget considerations, helps to inform the decision-making process. That said, it focused on existing city services and amenities, so it only goes so far when councillors sit down to debate the merits of a boathouse, a football stadium or high-tech infrastructure.
As elected officials, councillors have a mandate to advance these kinds of initiatives, but any of these major decisions will have to involve community consultation, especially projects requiring long-term borrowing. And some of these ideas are intertwined with other city services and projects and involve other bodies that have their own strategic plans and priorities.
The core review identified significant cost-saving potential, but that money isn’t in municipal coffers yet. Staff still needs to report back on the feasibility of some of the suggestions, citizens deserve a say and councillors need to make a final call.
Council was insistent on a zero-per cent tax increase in 2016 and we expect it will continue to prioritize fiscal responsibility and that capital projects will be scrutinized accordingly.
Talking about major projects is probably one of the fun parts of being a politician. They have a chance to help change the city for the better and positively impact tourism and the economy, quality of life and civic pride. So long as we can all temper our enthusiasm, it’s all right to be excited about what’s to come in Nanaimo.
