Almost $31.000 council “trip” to Whistler

A month before municipal election, the Salmon Arm mayor and council members went for a “trip” to Whistler. Mayor Harrison and councillors joined the annual meeting of Union of BC municipalities {UBCM}  2022. The event took a place in the beautiful mountain resort town of Whistler  September 12- 16. 2022.

Photo source: www. ubcm.ca

The Union of B.C. Municipalities is incorporated under a provincial statute, an Act to incorporate the Union of British Columbia Municipalities. The objects of the UBCM Act include secure united action among members in dealing with all matters of common municipal interest, and when deemed expedient, to represent members in matters affecting them or the welfare or interests of their citizens, cooperation with other organizations under the legislative jurisdiction of Canada and other bureaucratic policies.

https://www.ubcm.ca/convention-resolutions/past-conventions/2022-convention

Local government members claimed the followed expenses covered by local tax payers:

1. Mayor Harrison- $4,464.11
2. Councillor Cannon- $ 5,430.07
3. Councillor Eliason- $ 4,895.47
4. Councillor Flynn- $ 5,372.95
5. Councillor Lindgren- $ 5,407. 52
6. Councillor Wallace Richmond- $ 5,400.76

{Information was collected through the Freedom of Information Act}

While a lot of Canadians are financially due to “pandemic’ lockdowns and businesses being shut down, bureaucrats have a different problem. Making sure money is spent to their stated budget, increasing taxes to accommodate their wages, taking trips to meet other bureaucrats in order to create additional regulations and bylaws, all only serve to validate the existence of their office, and does not benefit constituents. We are  prisoners of our institutions, and when we vote, we are agreeing and supporting them.

DB, MC