THUNDER BAY -- Internally or externally, the Chamber wants the city to review all of its services.
Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce president Charla Robinson said how it is done and who does it doesn't matter so much as long as city council starts the process, which needs to include the public.
"It should be a big picture discussion," she said.
Robinson thanked council for getting the tax levy down to 4.04 per cent this year, 2.1 per cent for existing taxpayers, but like other years she saw a lot of ideas worth exploring during budget talks. In past years those ideas aren't looked into other than a quick discussion.
Over the next six to eight months, those ideas should come back through reports and recommendations so that council can debate them with enough information. She's hoping this year councillors actually start a process as it battles rising operating costs.
"I think that's where the really important work will be done," Robinson said.
Robinson said she sees a lot of new faces on administration, including city manager Norm Gale, which have some good ideas to start.
"There are a lot of new ideas that could be tapped within administration on how to do things differently," she said.
For at-large Coun. Aldo Ruberto, administration is where he'd like to see the review come from.
An external review could cost as much as $300,000 and the city always faces criticism whether it relies on internal expertise or hires outside help.
"No one want to listen to the city. If we do it ourselves it doesn't mean anything,” he said.
“We hire consultants and then they say 'well the consultant is going to give you the answer that you want'. You're in a lose-lose situation and if you're in a lose-lose situation I'd rather lose without paying for it.”
Once recommendations are made, Ruberto said it's up to council whether to follow through. It's for that reason Northwood Coun. Shelby Ch'ng doesn't want an external review.
"I really worry that a core service review won't pass at council. We're going to waste our time going through this exercise, possibly paying too much money for a consultant to come in and say 'cut these things' and then it's going to council and then we don't pass it," she said.
Ch'ng agrees though that the city needs to see changes. Every year it seems council says they'll figure out a way to do better next year and the chamber has to issue a statement on the city's long term financial challenges.
"These things have become almost automatic. The press releases are almost identical every year. How do we break that cycle and really focus on what is efficient?" she said.
Robinson said that could come from the public. Starting a dialogue with people and businesses about what they'd like to see.
A tally of all of the city's services, what it's required to provide, what it wants to provide and what might be better provided in the private sector, could go a long way. Robinson said it's not necessarily about cutting service but how they can be better.
"I think the citizens would have a better understanding of what the options could be," she said.
