CBS councillors lending their ears, literally, to public budget feedback

By Craig Westcott

The Town of CBS has started its annual budget consultations, but this year is adding to the effort by adopting a practice started by the neighboring town of Paradise, namely “pop up” displays at public sites featuring councillors who are available to bend an air on any money matter that members of the public care to raise.

The first pop up event was held at All Saints Parish Hall October 2 during a Seniors Expo where Mayor Darrin Bent and councillors Christine Butler and Rex Hillier showed up to make themselves available to hear suggestions and concerns. That was followed up by an ‘ice breaker’ pop up at the first family skating session of the season at CBS Arena featuring Mayor Bent, Butler, and councillors Paul Connors, Gerard Tilley, Shelley Moores, Melissa Hardy and Deputy Mayor Andrea Gosse. Another pop up, this one dubbed a ‘Trail Talk,’ was held on the Manuels River Trail this past Saturday.

All that is in addition to the annual online survey. 

“This is a really importance survey,” said Deputy Mayor Gosse, who serves as council’s finance committee chairperson. “This tool allows you to directly provide your views on which services should be prioritized for the upcoming budget. All the feedback we gather will be reviewed by your council and shared with the public to ensure that the budget aligns with your needs.”

Gosse said council and staff will use the feedback during their deliberations this fall as they prepare next year’s budget.

“With the budget consultations this year, council really wanted to step up the outreach to the community, and I guess, triple the number of public opportunities,” added Mayor Bent. “Last year we had information sheets and feedback forms at a number of locations, and this year we’re going to be there ourselves to take that feedback, which I’m very pleased about.”

Bent said a “huge number” of people respond to the Town’s online survey every year, which is really helpful. “That’s easier for a lot of people to do from the comfort of their own homes,” he said. “So, we look forward seeing the results of that. And of course, all of us are always available for residents to reach out and let us know their thoughts and concerns with regard to that and we take all those into consideration as we get deeper into the budget season.”

Gosse said the face to face encounters have been going well, though she acknowledged there was a low turnout for the ice breaker at the arena as it was only the first skating session of the season and there weren’t as many skaters as the rink usually sees later in the season.

“We’re mostly trying to drive people to the survey,” Gosse added, explaining some people are reluctant to share their concerns in person, but are more forthcoming using an anonymous online tool.

“But the people we have spoken to have been really positive,” Gosse said. “People’s biggest concern is that they want the mil rate to stay the same and see no increases in taxes.”

Other have expressed their desire to see CBS get a community centre, said Gosse. “And we’ve been working on that,” she said.

Gosse pointed out this council was elected in 2021, essentially in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic and has had to deal with the financial fallout from that, including inflation, a shortage of goods, and long wait times for many of those goods.

“There have been so many fluctuations and uncertainties, it’s certainly been a challenge,” Gosse said. 

And while things may never return to the way they were before the pandemic, Gosse said, they are levelling off.

“We just have to learn to roll with it,” Gosse said.