Re: Mountain View County Cost of living adjustment will cost $275,000
The following letter is to challenge the necessity of a wage increase (cost of living increase) by the Mountain View County to the councillors, reeve and their staff.
The councillors that voted for the raise should reconsider their decision. This wage increase is hard earned taxpayer money given to Mountain View County -- $275,000 should be used to help the people of this municipality especially during the time of COVID. It should not be used to finance Mountain View County employees, but support our community during this time of COVID.
Whatever the reason described by Mountain View County management in the article, instead of competing with other municipalities Mountain View County should show an initiative to freeze wages.
Question: Do the new councillors deserve a wage increase?
Do the Mountain View County councillors and staff deserve a wage increase while working from home?
How many Mountain View County employees have been working from home during this time of COVID?
How productive is working at home and supporting electronic teleconferences and electronic forums when part of this municipality does not have proper internet and a lot of elderly Mountain View County people are not electronic savvy or do not own a computer?
I consider this to be unproductive. For that matter, Mountain View County councillors and staff should take a wage rollback.
I would say that instead of Mountain View County giving them a pat on the back they should be more humble with our taxpayer dollar and apologizing for the lack of support to the people of Mountain View County during this difficult COVID time.
Perhaps more money should go to a proper McDougal Flats Area Structure Plan Study that is 10 years overdue.
Why does our county not update our area structure plan? It has not been modified since 2010; with a minor amendment in 2015. The area structure plan, although on a 20-year horizon is like a budget and should be reviewed and changed as events change.
Section 10.3 Monitoring and Review of the Area Structure Plan, directs the county on actions to be taken and includes: The county should review this plan in its entirety every five years and coincide with municipal development plan reviews and updates.
A monitoring plan has been developed for this area structure plan to assist county staff with the annual monitoring of plan implementation.
This is my taxpayer dollar at work; perhaps the people in this county should be asked first what is necessary with this money in the form of a poll. Bragging about incompetent decisions is very unprofessional.
Neil Konner,
Sundre
