A shame Pique wasn’t able to attend in person one of the best council meetings I’ve been to in 30-plus years on Tuesday night, Dec. 3... next time?
With three members of the public in the house, (yeah, good for me) staff gave a detailed and riveting info package—”2025 Budget Guidelines Report, 24-106”—to council and public. The catchphrase for the evening: “smoothing tax rises over time.” (see related story here.)
Regardless of how you may have followed or participated in the 2025 and five-year budget process this fall, or where you stand on the proposed increases, the council meeting on Dec. 3 hit a home run! The presentation was informative, professional, comprehensive, digestible, timely and “must-hear” number crunching. Lots of numbers, many “what ifs” and too many uses of the worry over “unknown-unknowns” to count. At the end of the day, the big numbers: 9.1 per cent for 2025 and 7.7 per cent-plus each year for the following four.
There were hard questions that followed from councillors, several statements of unease and discomfort for the increases with easy-to-follow rejoinders from finance and the entire table of senior staff lined up—the “A Team” was on deck and put to work all night.
Amendments were suggested followed by some amusing confusions on protocols which required a lengthy adjournment for procedural manners on the question of, I’ll say, “deferral”—which saw a wrap on the knuckles from the mayor to councillors who were seen recklessly mingling...
While I disagree with lots of what was said and some of the comments and conclusions drawn, stances taken and rationales proffered, at the end of the day it was a world-class exercise in the democratic process. The passion, concern and angst shared by councillors and staff alike in debating the increase and use of our tax dollars was inspiring and of some comfort.
I encourage Whistlerites who care to go online and watch the debate and reach out to councillors with their thoughts (they definitely want to hear) and then drop by council on Dec. 17 when the matter is brought back.
