While the Town of Sundre's new two-year budgeting cycle has some redeeming qualities, it is an ill-conceived plan that makes it practically unnecessary to hold municipal elections in 2017.
The current council has just adopted a budget for 2015 as well as 2016.
Thank goodness for spring adjustments as I don't put much faith in forecasting what priorities will be two years from now, nor what the economy will be -- two key budget-driving factors.
If they continue with the cycle, this council will be adopting both a 2017 and a 2018 budget by the end of 2016.
That means the first budget the new municipal council elected in October 2017 will adopt will be for 2019.
While administration may be right in asserting that having a budget already done up for a new incoming council will make it easier for those unfamiliar with budgeting, it also lessens the incoming council's accountability, decision making powers and most importantly, setting their own priorities.
I want my elected leaders to immediately immerse themselves in the budget as soon as they are sworn in as that is at the root of their role.
As public trustees their role is to safeguard the taxpayers' money and make use of scare financial resources.
This is the job of every elected council member and it's at the root of just about every decision they make. And it begins and ends with the budget.
The provincial government has already tried to make it easier for them to get their sea legs by extending their tenure to four years from three.
Planning two years into the future is a great idea for many reasons, not the least of which is forethought in decisions being made today and what effect they will have in the future.
Adopting a budget two years in advance is not.
There's too many unknowns and assumptions to make it binding on future leaders.
We all know a little too well the unintended consequences of making assumptions however well-intentioned they may be. I think there may have been more than a few assumptions made when services were extended to the east side and look where that's landed the current council -- in mediation with the county over money.
If current administration and council want to give groups assurance of funding into the future, create multi-year funding agreements with them that can be enshrined in future budgets.
If the current administration and council want to make it easier on the incoming council, pass along a draft budget. Then leave it up to voters and the next council to determine funding priorities.
