Turner Valley councillors who told constituents in their election campaign that they’d develop a finance committee are following through on that promise.
The Town established a Finance Advisory Committee consisting of three council members and two members at large who will meet monthly to provide additional financial insight for the Town.
Corinne Middleton, manager of finance and corporate service, said the committee is tasked to review budgets, quarterly reports, asset management, reserve funds, capital projects and debts, and provide recommendations. Those recommendations will go to administration and council, she said.
The committee’s first meeting will be held Feb. 10.
“The overall intention is that when we go to council with our reports they will already have been vetted by the Finance Advisory Committee,” she said. “The hope is that it will streamline some of the process at the council level.”
The committee consists of councillors Jamie Wilkie, Cindy Holladay and Garry Raab and members at large Bill Rowe and Chandra Howlett.
Middleton said the four citizens who applied for the volunteer position underwent an interview process before two were selected based on experience in finances and the public sector.
“The people that we have within the team on the committee are fantastic,” she said. “They are all very well qualified and very competent.”
Among them is Rowe, a member of the Turner Valley Rate Payers Board who followed the election campaign closely and supported the idea of a finance committee.
“A commitment was made by a number of those running in the election in 2017 that they would hold the line on taxes and they’ve actually done a good job of that,” he said. “We hope the Finance Advisory Committee can help the Town find ways to be able to continue the success that they have had.”
Rowe, a chartered professional accountant with a bachelor of commerce degree, said he felt his background is a good fit for the committee.
“It’s an opportunity to bring some expertise to the table on how we go about financing both the operations and capital requirements of the town,” he said. “I really look forward to helping administration and council in its efforts to better communicate their financial position and outlook to the citizens of Turner Valley.”
As for the need for such a committee in Turner Valley, Rowe said there’s no question.
“I think that, historically, the Town of Turner Valley had found itself in a position where its tax growth and tax revenue were significantly outpacing the growth and tax revenues from comparable municipalities,” he said. “I saw the opportunity to work with the Town to try to find ways to ensure that Turner Valley remains competitive with peer communities. We have to recognize that if we’re going to attract investments in the town of Turner Valley we have to provide the conditions that will make it attractive to those who may be looking at (the Foothills). We have to find ways to make it easy for people to invest in this town.”
Among the councillors who promised constituents a finance committee is Raab, a former school administrator who’s dealt with plenty of budgets.
“At the end of the day what we’re looking for is a set of eyes to look deeper into the budget to improve transparency for us and for council and also for the general public,” he said. “It also gives a chance for a couple members of the public to come in to see things we don’t see.”
Raab said he sees the committee as a supportive role to administration to look for opportunities for savings that may have been overlooked.
“It’s just a review and deeper look,” he said. “We’re there to go deep and to see if there are any opportunities for savings and efficiencies, but also to bring more transparency and openness to the public.”
Following the 2021 municipal election, Raab said it will be up to council whether or not to continue the advisory committee.
