I have written several articles over the past few years focused primarily on out of control wages and benefits (at the City of Greater Sudbury).
I also challenged the budgeting process where there seems to be little efforts made in taking a deep dive into our waste and inefficiencies. Is it an exercise this administration may lack expertise or is it simply that they refuse to do so?
It was suggested many times that a zero-based budgeting process would expose our inefficiencies, resulting in real and meaningful savings.
What is most offensive to taxpayers is their lack of transparency and unwillingness to take advice from experts (paid by our tax dollars) while they continue down a path of ineptitude.
All the great things this mayor seems so proud of clearly demonstrate that very little effort was executed in finding inefficiencies and waste.
You’ll note that nothing was discussed about holding wages down as everyone will surely be getting their traditional wage and benefit increases.
On this point, let me leave you with some 2020 facts I Googled today.
The land mass of PEI is 5,660 sq. km, as compared to Greater Sudbury being 3,200 sq. km.
The Premier of PEI was paid a salary with benefits in the amount of $145,355 compared to our mayor, who enjoyed a salary of $180,448 along with fringe benefits of $48,424.
The CAO of Charlottetown PEI showed a base salary of $65,000, as compared to our CAO Ed Archer who enjoyed a salary of $287,700.30, in addition to $10,795.68 in benefits.
Most taxpayers I suggest are thinking “What is wrong with this picture?” I mean really, can you tell me that this administration really made a serious effort on trying to reduce costs?
My final point as stated in previous articles. Public servants on average earn approximately 30 per cent more than the private sector workers.
In the 2018 Ontario Finances Treasury Board Secretariat report, wages and benefits awarded to public servants is deemed unsustainable. Wages and benefits are the biggest contributors to out of control costs.
So, Mr. Mayor, take your hands out of the taxpayers’ pockets, stop the nonsense and do what is obvious to us all. Time to freeze wages and time to discuss a roll back in wages and benefits. That would impress Sudbury taxpayers.
Bob Hibbs
Sudbury