Dear editor:

Ross’s Ramblings about the budget process of the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake (“Surely town staffing costs can be explained and simplified,” March 30), and the possible addition of 16 new positions to the staff, most of which were “co-ordinator” jobs, caused me to reflect on the challenges the new councillors must have in dealing with issues like this, many of which are being faced for the first time in their very first budget deliberations.

Each new position is probably justified in great detail, but can the total of all 16 be justified, given the cost of each, not counting the extra 25 per cent-plus for benefits and what each might want to spend on programs to fulfil their own ambitions, an amount likely to be at least equal to the salary? 

And is the timing right given an expected new strategy? And maybe even ask, “Who is going to do the new work being co-ordinated by all the new co-ordinators?”

Organizations, particularly those of an administrative nature, tend to want to grow. 

The CBC reported that federal public service employment grew 31 per cent, an additional 80,000 employees in the past seven years. Our federal government will spend $151 billion more next year than it did in 2014-15.

The growth reflects new employees and new programs. A billion here, a billion there, it all adds up.

Northcote Parkinson, of Parkinson’s Law fame (Work expands to fill the time allocated for its completion) and Ichak Adizes, Ph.D, a serious business researcher and thinker, wrote extensively on the growth of bureaucracies.

They note how the focus of organizations can shift, over time, from having clarity of purpose, creativity to achieve growth and meaningful change and high productivity to the many administrative functions like planning, organizing, control and “co-ordination.”

So, when I see “co-ordinator” in most of the job titles, I ask if we are heading down this administration mindset and toward the bureaucracies that the authors describe.

While the town seemed to be on track in planning to define longer-term strategies, even hiring a strategic planning person, perhaps the decisions on staffing are premature. 

Part of strategy is to clearly define the purpose of the organization, develop and clarify alternative programs or activities to achieve the purpose, establish priorities with a focus on the most important, and then determine the resources to deliver on the agreed-to programs, including staffing. 

It is in the public interest that our town is well-led at the council level and by the staff.  That means understanding the implications of recommendations made by staff, being familiar with good management and leadership practices, and being prepared to revisit decisions at the time when the final decisions should be made – most likely once the strategy for the town is determined.

While the federal government may be thinking in billions of dollars, an extra million dollars in the NOTL budget, to be financed by increased taxation, is a noticeable amount of money for those of us who live here.

A million here, a million there, it all adds up. The staffing proposals need a rethink.

Bill Garriock
NOTL