The ABCs of Saint John: New city manager to review agencies, boards, commissions

Saint John's new city manager is undertaking a review of the agencies, boards and commissions to improve their operations and find ways to save money.

There are more than 30 such groups that oversee the city's facilities and services, such as Harbour Station, the Aquatic Centre, police services and transit all at arms length from the city, said Mayor Don Darling.

And "tens of millions" of dollars flow through them.

"I think we have an obligation as council to ensure we have the best practices in place and that we can get the best results," he said.

Darling said "micro" reviews have been done in the past, but nothing as comprehensive as what John Collin has planned.

Collin, who has been on the job since January, will spend the next five or six months on the project.

"I think everything is on the table," said Darling, adding that includes possible mergers.

"This is about driving maximum value for taxpayers and you cannot be talking about sustainability moving forward without having everything you do be looked at through that lens, again, of growth, our financial performances and lastly, through municipal reforms."

Darling expects Collin will focus on the groups that have the biggest financial implications, such as the Aquatic Centre.

"If things are going well, we're investing or another way to say it, we're losing $500,000 a year. If things are going poorly,we're losing a million dollars a year," he stressed.

Darling said he has some of his own ideas about where costs can be trimmed and the Fundy Region Service Commission, which costs the city about $70,000 a year,is top of mind.

"That would be an example where, why would we continue to invest money on behalf of the taxpayers when the mandate'snot being met and there doesn't seem to be a willingness to meet the mandate?"

Similarly, he hopes Collin will take a closer look at the governance model of the Aquatic Centre, which continues to struggle.

It's not an attack on the members of the various agencies, boards and commissions, said Darling, noting many are volunteer positionswhile othersare paid nominal fees.Police commission members, for example, get paid $100 per meeting.

"The world we're working in is changing very rapidly, so do we have the right framework and the right support?" he said.

"And within this governance review the boards themselves might say, 'Hey City of Saint John, you're encumbering us.' So it's a two-way street."

Collin's findingswill be made public and discussed at council, said Darling.