For Council to advance key community priorities, and for residents and businesses to receive effective programs and services at the right service level, we need to continue to focus on improving our strategic planning and governance.
One of the key ways to do this is through asset management and developing a culture of continuous improvement informed by City assessments and program evaluations and by what you, as citizens, tell us.
Asset management is about maximizing the lifespan of our assets; allocating resources to support programs and assets; setting service levels so that residents and staff are clear on expectations; and knowing our risks and managing them. If we are doing that, we’re being good financial stewards of tax dollars and planning in a transparent way. That is what you expect from your City council and I commit, as mayor, to continue to allocate your tax dollars in a responsible way.
During my last four years of working for the people of Yellowknife:
- To help the City better plan and respond to the evolving needs in Yellowknife, I supported the necessary updates to the City’s Budget Policies; the Community Plan Bylaw; the Zoning Bylaw; and the Building Bylaw.
- I was happy to support the start of work on Asset Management – including the development and approval of the Asset Registry, and the start of determining Levels of Service, Risk Management, and Imagery Data Collection and Use Directives.
Moving forward, together:
- Let’s continue to plan forward with the Asset Management road map.
- I will champion the completion of the review of water rates.
- As mayor, I will also champion a culture of continuous improvement, and find ways to improve services for residents, while reducing the red-tape burden and the pressure it puts on residents and on City staff. For example, instead of updating business licenses every year, we could have a one-year, three-year or five-year option – similar to when you go and renew your driver’s license. In 2021, the City processed 2,000 business licenses. We could save a lot of resources with the change, and less paperwork for businesses to do. Another example would be the “Access for All Program.” Instead of expiring every year, the passes could be valid for two to three years. Again, something that would benefit residents, staff, and be simple enough to change.