ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE SERVICE DELIVERY: “Why do we need elected officials? This is an important question and often poorly understood. Council is not elected to be helpful to staff or to tell them how to deliver services,” wrote Christina Benty, former Mayor of Golden, BC (Winter 2023 issue of Asset Management BC Newsletter)
Note to Reader:
The Winter 2023 edition of the Asset Management BC Newsletter includes an article by Christina Benty, former Mayor of the Town of Golden, BC, wherein she provides her perspective on what to say to a new Council about asset management for sustainable service delivery. Her article is one of a set of 9 articles representing different perspectives. The theme for the Winter 2023 edition is Asset Management for Sustainable Service Delivery: Why Should Council Care?
Perspective from a former politician
“Local government was created to provide a broad range of localized services and functions on behalf of the Provincial Government that have a direct impact on the health, safety, and quality of life for the residents of the community. Local government exists as a service provider. These services are collectively agreed upon and paid for. Local government has been granted the tools to collect revenue to pay for those services in the form of local property taxes and user fees,” stated Christina Benty.
“The full purpose of Council is to represent the community and to reflect the will of the people in two key areas:
- What services does our community want and need now and into the future, (and at what level)?
- What services is our community willing and able to pay for?”
“Every strategic initiative, every policy, every decision, every resolution, every by-law, every component of financial planning needs to be in service of these two questions.”
TO LEARN MORE:
To read the complete article, download the Winter 2023 issue of the Asset Management BC Newsletter.
