Editorial — Don’t be too quick to cut back on City budget sessions

EDITORIAL — The incoming Kamloops City council shouldn’t get all knee-jerky about the cost of public-consultation meetings on the budget and jump onto a cutback bandwagon.

A report to the outgoing council Tuesday showed that two such meetings a few weeks ago cost more than $57,000 and were attended by only 44 residents. Granted, that’s a lousy turnout — not much better than the old days when the City’s annual budget-input session would attract only a dozen or so.

But the new council should keep in mind that in recent years the numbers of attendees has steadily grown as City Hall experimented with new ways to increase interest. While the October meetings were an obvious failure, roundtables last February were highly successful. A hundred people showed up on a cold winter evening. A hundred keen citizens who crowded the tables to ask questions about topics ranging from the mundane to the obvious, such as plans for the performing arts centre.

In a rare display of enthusiasm for City Hall’s efforts at engagement, this very corner stated in an editorial, “They were engaged. Spirited. Interested. They were thankful, even, for the opportunity.

“It’s because the roundtable format relieves the boredom that comes with sitting around. You can stand up, walk around, listen in at and talk at one table, then move along to another if you like. No microphone to be afraid of, no spotlight, just talking at a table.

“Pure genius.”

OK, so it didn’t work so well this last time. Point is, though, there’s proof that people are interested in how their money is spent if the format, material and the timing are right. And they have to be given the opportunity, without second-guessing based on prognostications about turnout.

How does one put a price on public engagement? Sure, the new council should look at ways to tighten up on costs, but not by retrenching to the old days of 15 years ago when public consultation was just a phrase.

City Hall has come a long way. Don’t turn back now.