Town of Paradise Corrects Misinformation in Recent Print Ad

An ad in September 6, 2017 issue of The Shoreline “Paradise Waste and Mismanagement” contained a number of inaccuracies and misleading information. The residents of the Town of Paradise deserve the correct information.

 

The Town of Paradise is the fourth largest municipality in the province and one of the fastest growing across the country. The Town’s population now stands at just over 21,000, which is an increase of almost 21 percent since 2011. Over the past ten years, since 2006, the Town has experienced a 70 percent growth rate.

 

The Town of Paradise, like all municipalities in Newfoundland and Labrador, is legislatively required to operate within a balanced budget. For the past two years, the balanced budget has been maintained without increasing taxes. Furthermore, the Debt Servicing Ratio for the Town has been declining, and currently stands at 9 percent.  This means the Town is paying down debt and managing its finances in a responsible manner.  

 

With respect to Council Stipends, the increase reflects the growth of the Town and thereby the increased responsibilities and demands of Council, and is comparable to similar-sized towns, in particular Mount Pearl. Furthermore, these increases were accommodated within the existing Town budget. 

 

The ad references Salaries, Inefficiencies and Growing Staff in Town operations. A town the size of Paradise with over 21,000 residents needs the appropriate number of staff to provide the services and programs residents need and deserve.  In many respects, staff growth did not keep pace with the population growth. The staff complement has been strategically planned and positions added which are needed for a town the size of Paradise. The Town of Paradise has a dedicated, hard-working and qualified staff who all pride themselves on doing a good job for all residents in an efficient and professional manner. 

 

As all organizations routinely do, the Town of Paradise regularly reviews operations to ensure efficiencies. It is always important for any organization, including municipalities, to ensure budgets and finances are spent responsibility. Through the review, Operational Savings were found as a result of not filling any current vacancies other than those where recruitment had already been started. For the current fiscal year, it is projected to have savings of $442,000. These positions were part of the 2017 budget so by not filling the positions, the Town is saving money. 

 

A recent survey showed that residents are very satisfied with Town programs and services, including recreational programming. To be able to offer these programs, the Town needs a certain Staff Complement, one which is able to provide programs to over 21,000 residents. The survey also indicated that residents are satisfied with Paradise Park and its full slate of facilities – splash pad, accessible playground, beach volleyball court, two dog parks, concession stand, community stage and green space. The total budget for the year-round park and all the amenities, including the Community Stage, was $4M. The stage was a portion of that budget and cost $274,000. Furthermore the Town received approximately $1.7M in funding towards the total cost of the Park.  

 

In June 2016, Metrobus rolled into Town, and residents now have access to public transit.  It is an investment by the Town to provide the service to residents. Commuters, students, and seniors regularly use the service and have voiced their support for Metrobus to the Town.  As with all programs and services, this project will be evaluated during the budget process. 

 

With respect to Legal Settlements, it is not appropriate for the Town to comment on legal matters.  Furthermore, in most legal settlements, there is a nondisclosure requirement wherein the details are to remain confidential between the parties involved. However the settlement amount referenced in the ad is significantly inaccurate. 

 

It is common practice for municipalities to use external resources and Consultants to conduct the project management of significant capital works and construction projects. Depending on the scope of the project, it is fiscally responsible to hire external consultants for seasonal projects as this enables Town staff to continue focusing on other priorities thereby increasing the overall workload capacity.  This is especially true given the short construction season we have in our province.

 

The Town has been updating its Municipal Plan.  All municipalities are required to do so every 10 years. Given the scope of such a project, the Town of Paradise has undertaken an extensive public consultation process to seek input from residents. The Town will not rush such an important project and is committed to the goal of ensuring the plan is reflective of all residents. The process is nearing completion and a new 10-year Municipal Plan will be implemented in due course.  It is interesting to note that the Town of Paradise has actually won awards and received industry accolades and acknowledgements for the public consultations and process it has used to develop its new Municipal Plan. 

 

The ad also referenced a new Town Hall would be built and this is not something currently under active consideration. As a growing and vibrant municipality, the Town of Paradise is continually reviewing programs, services, staff requirements, equipment and facilities to ensure it is has the resources necessary to meet the needs of residents. Any building renovations or equipment upgrades are made to ensure that assets meet current standards and provide appropriate conditions for all staff and residents. 

 

As one of the fastest growing municipalities both provincially and nationally, the dedicated staff and Council of the Town of Paradise work hard to provide all residents with a variety of programs and services to make the municipality a great place in which to live, play and work.