Fraser Valley Regional Library Board Response
Public Library Legislation SECOND DRAFT
A White Paper for Public Review -7- May 11, 1993

35. BUDGET EXPENDITURES AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(1) The Library Board supports this clarification over the timing of budget approvals.
It does, however, see a conflict with clause 320(a) of the Municipal Act and asks
that this be clarified, i.e., if a municipal council cannot commit a future council
to expenditure, how can ‘t approve in a prior year, a library budget to which it

must commit revenues.

SHARING THE COST OF LIBRARY SERVICE

(2) (3) The Library Board supports these changes which provide a 75% agreement
for changes to a funding formula with provision for a fallback formula in
cases of no agreement.

HOW REGIONAL LIBRARY DISTRICTS ARE FINANCED

( 3)(b) and ( 4)(b)

The Board notes that in the case of regional districts and school districts the
assessment notice is sent to the Surveyor of Taxes and is paid by the Minister of
Firance and Corporate Relations. As the main reason for changing from school
district representation to regional district representation was to tie representation
to taxing liability, the Board is ata loss to understand why such a change has not
been made.

The Board is strongly opposed to this provision for which no rationale has been
provided. If the intent is to provide a ‘level playing field’ for rural residents, then
payments from the Surveyor of Taxes could be made on the same quarterly basis
as municipal members.

In either of two views of regional library service the proposal is not valid:

(a) If the regional library is seen as delivering a municipal library service at
arms length, it should be treated as other municipal departments and funded
through municipal means until taxes are collected.

(b) If the regional library is seen as delivering municipal library service asa
contractor, then no such contract would ever allow payment for services to
be made eight months after deiivery began.

In terms of net effects the present system has a minimum effect on the
administration of members’ budgets. The new provision will have a severe effect
on regional library budgexs, and members will nay for interest payments through
member assessments. ITERA_| PAGE

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