Who Does Nanaimo City Staff Serve?

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Is City Staff Loyal To Nanaimo Taxpayers
or The Corporation of the City of Nanaimo?

This is an interesting question worth some serious consideration for all you high-level, 30,000 foot thinkers out there.

During a brief council debate surrounding in-camera policy process it was noted by Mr. Ian Howat that council might want to consider a parliamentarian's point of view and not simply rely on the Ombudsperson's opinion vis a vis in-camera policy.

Mr. Howat rightly pointed out that while the Ombudsperson had the interest of the taxpayers as first priority, the parliamentarian may have the interest of the corporation as first priority, and that council might want to balance the two, when establishing our in-camera policy.

Is Staff Serving the Corporation or the Taxpayer??

Considering some of the wage and benefit packages enjoyed by anyone employed by the Corporation of the City of Nanaimo, you could likely make a solid case for staff loyalties lying with the corporation.

After all it is the corporation that seems to be in constant agreement with the wage and benefit increases year after year after year. The corporation simply requires more cash to meet increased wage demands, easily supplied via yet another tax increase which is as predictable as a sunrise. You can set your clock to the fact that all union and non-union members will receive an annual increase in wages and benefits which outstrips the CPI on a base salary that has arguably been out of line for years.

You might argue that the less public 'meddling' there is, the better it is for the corporation as it will then be free to expand and grow as it sees fit for it's own benefit, which may not be the same as the best interests of the taxpayers.