鈥極ur office is dedicated to helping B.C.鈥檚 local governments find value for the tax dollars they spend,鈥� says the website of the B.C. auditor general for local governments.
We would like to find value in the tax dollars spent 鈥� more than $5 million 鈥� on an agency that has produced only one report in its two years of existence.
Moreover, we would like to know why the premier and the minister responsible failed to notice the dearth of results for two years.
Basia Ruta took office as auditor general for local governments in January 2013, charged with conducting performance audits of municipalities and regional districts and recommending how those governments can become more efficient and effective. In May 2013, she promised audits on municipalities throughout the province, for a total of 18 reports that would be delivered by March 31, 2014.
So far, her office has delivered only one 鈥� the first of a two-part report on the City of Rossland.
It鈥檚 gratifying to know that Premier Christy Clark shares our dismay.
鈥淚 am disappointed that it鈥檚 only been one audit,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think there would have been costs in getting it started up. I would have hoped there was more than one audit out the door by now.鈥�
Starting a brand-new agency is a challenge, and it should be no surprise 鈥� or shame 鈥� that Ruta鈥檚 office would fall short of her ambitious promise of 18 reports within a year. Growing pains are inevitable; unforeseen circumstances arise. As Ruta said, the task turned out to be more complex than anticipated. She remains committed to delivering those audits, but admits it was unrealistic to promise all of them her first year.
And she did report in April 2014 that a series of policing audits in Victoria, Port Alberni and four other cities would be delayed by up to a year as other issues took precedence.
We wonder why Clark and Community Minister Coralee Oakes weren鈥檛 at least a little bit curious about the apparent lack of progress. The matter was brought to light by NDP MLA Selina Robinson in question period.
But Oakes said in the legislature that Ruta has a 鈥渉igh degree of autonomy鈥� and that the government has no ability to influence the timing of her reports.
But independence does not negate the need for accountability for how public money is spent and how government services are delivered 鈥� or not.
We don鈥檛 believe that Ruta and her staff have sat there twiddling their thumbs for two years. We don鈥檛 doubt for a second the complexity of the task and the challenges faced by a new agency.
But Ruta has worked with the federal Office of the Auditor General and the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, and she served as Environment Canada鈥檚 chief financial officer. She鈥檚 no neophyte in government and public administration.
鈥淒oes the minister believe that $5.2 million for one audit over two years is good value for money?鈥� Robinson asked in question period.
That鈥檚 an over-simplification. Of course, Ruta鈥檚 office has been working on more than one file. Of course, more reports are forthcoming.
And the $5.2 million is a paltry amount, considering that a misstep or a poor decision by a municipal government on a major capital project can easily cost many times that amount. Ruta and her staff have the potential to save taxpayers much more than they cost.
But an agency charged with auditing municipal governments to ensure tax dollars are wisely spent should not hesitate to turn that focus on itself.
