GFOABC Dollars & Sense – June 2023 - Issue 123

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What a way to kick off the summer!

The recently held 2023 GFOABC Annual Conference was again a thoughtful, inspiring journey reflecting and engaging on all things local government finance. With esteemed fellow association guests joining us from Alberta, Ontario, Washington and GFOA US & Canada, the many sponsors and exhibitors who offered their time and talent with such willingness, and the delegates who went above and beyond sharing their experience and solutions for what’s possible. It was such a success.

I am so pleased to be able to write this inaugural president’s message from my office back at work in beautiful Victoria British Columbia. I am privileged to live, work, and play in the Lekwungen (Le-KWUNGen) speaking people’s territory, and I recognize and respect the First Nations governments across our region. I am ready to tackle the work ahead and be here for you, the membership, in my new role as President of the GFOABC Board of Directors.

My readiness is attributable to the extraordinary professional development I have been the recipient of since I joined local government over 10 years ago. I am so grateful for the connections, friendships and professional opportunities I have been afforded.

Attributable to a great degree to GFOABC in providing the opportunities for connection and also to a great degree the teams I have been a part of in Victoria and historically in Port Coquitlam and at KPMG. Getting to be of service now feels great. If you’re interested in getting involved, it started for me by getting involved delivering courses and serving on committees.

Looking forward for the GFOABC, having met objectives laid out in the 2019-2024 Strategic Plan, we start the work to develop our next five-year strategic plan. This work includes engagement and planning workshops, which have now commenced beginning with the member engagement opportunities launched at conference. We remain committed to the Strategic Outcomes: To be relevant to all members, to become a center for dialogue, and to provide value to our membership.

During the last plan cycle, notable progress was made in each of the Strategic Outcome areas. To highlight some of this progress, in the priority area of becoming a centre for dialogue we were able to realize our goal of developing and maintaining interorganizational relationships identified as key to our members. In the area of providing value for our members we exceled by advancing the Leadership Competency Framework through the member pilot and launching of the Strategic Financial Leadership Program designed to support the membership in strengthening leadership qualities and problem-solving capacity.

Next up for the organization is the important work of our Board and committees, our annual Boot Camp offering this summer and

Board workshops on Strategic Planning in September. Through our planning work this year, we will right size, relate and realign so GFOABC continues to take part in what’s possible for you. I am excited to see how we can come together in new ways to impact culture and solve problems.

I believe we have a unique and important role in the work we do

as advisors, financiers, planners, risk managers and the many other hats we wear to bring people together and unite decision making so one discipline is not winning over another but rather, coming together to address trade-offs.

Yes, there is work ahead but together the load is lighter. With solid organizational foundations and an already connected

membership, the organization is also well positioned to be a centre for dialogue and education for local government finance in the province. I wish everyone a great summer and look forward to seeing you all again next year in Kamloops for the 2024 GFOABC Conference.

Rianna Lachance, GFOABC President

Meet the new Board of Directors on pages 32 and 33.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Rianna Lachance, President

Julia Aspinall, Vice President

Talitha Soldera, Secretary-Treasurer

Nyla Attiana, Past President

DIRECTORS AT LARGE

Corinne Bomben, City of Prince Rupert

Nicole Gervais, MFABC

Elio Iorio, District of North Vancouver

Mike Kennedy, City of Rossland

Lenora Lee, KPMG

Jeffrey Lovell, City of Port Coquitlam

Charlotte Osborne, City of Cranbrook

GFOABC STAFF

Kala Harris, Executive Director

Matt Holme, Manager, Member Services & Communications

Stephanie Kast, Manager, Professional Development & Education

Otto&Fran / www.ottoandfran.com, Graphic Design Services

ORGANIZING A CONFERENCE IS LIKE PLANNING A WEDDING WITH A 500-PERSON GUEST LIST—EVERY YEAR! FROM CHOOSING THE VENUE TO PLANNING THE PROGRAM AND SETTING OUT THE BANQUET MENU, THERE ARE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.

team. From staff to contractors to the board of directors, who serve as hosts to this annual event, to the sponsors, exhibitors, and speakers—not to mention the delegates, and our members. THANK YOU to everyone for engaging, participating, and collaborating on a successful conference.

The theme “Leading with Purpose: Creating a Culture of Collaboration” was weaved throughout the conference program from the welcome reception to the wrap-up. There were inspirational words from outgoing President Nyla Attiana and incoming President Rianna Lachance. Vice President Julia Aspinall provided equally inspiring closing remarks.

Our opening keynote presenter, Jon Montgomery, provided an energetic and inspirational keynote presentation sharing his journey to Olympic gold and beyond. From meeting his childhood idol to getting his maple leaf tattoo to discovering the sport of skeleton racing, Jon reminded us that belief, celebrating small victories, and collaboration is the not-so-secret sauce for

and complexity, we need to embody these thoughts and actions every day.

We were thrilled to welcome GFOA US & Canada (GFOA) to this year’s conference. Chris Morrill, Executive Director & CEO of GFOA, joined us onstage to introduce Past President Terri Velasquez and President-Elect Tanya Garost. Tanya will be the eleventh Canadian GFOA President and the first Canadian woman to hold the position of President. We were equally excited and honored to welcome Sandra Zwiers, President of the Municipal Finance Officers Association of Ontario, Alvin Allim, President of the GFOA of Alberta, and Dan Legard, President of the Washington (State) Finance Officers Association.

Tanya Garost and Chris Morrill reconvened on stage where they were joined by Dean Rear, General Manager & Chief Financial Officer for Metro Vancouver, on The Financial Leadership Imperative plenary panel. The panel was a fireside conversation about the unique challenges local governments are facing here in BC and across North

America. Inspired by the launch of our Strategic Financial Leadership program, the panelists discussed topics of aging infrastructure, cost of living, and talent retention as challenges that were top of mind for each of them as well as for conference delegates.

We hope that you will take the opportunity to watch and re-watch the conference sessions that resonated with you and take the time to internalize the learnings and lessons. The recordings will be available until August 30, 2023.

We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our conference speakers whose donations in lieu of speakers’ gifts enabled us to continue our annual donation program. This year the Whistler Community Foundation’s Youth Fund received a donation in the amount of $2,500.00 plus a little something extra thanks to Jon Montgomery’s keen auctioneering skills.

We look forward to seeing you all again next year in Kamloops.

Kala Harris, Executive Director

INTRODUCING

Matt Holme, GFOABC’s New Manager, Member Services and Communications

Hello!

My name is Matt, and I am the new GFOABC Manager of Member Services and Communications. I am excited to join the team and supporting GFOABC’s membership – the fantastic people in the local government finance profession.

A little bit about myself: First, this is not my first foray into the world of local government, as I worked for three years in the BC Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development. I spent a total of almost nine years working for the Province in various ministers’ offices, learning the ins and outs of government programs, communications, and policy formulation. I also have a master’s degree in urban planning, an education that provided a good foundation for building relationships with elected and non-elected officials at the Province and in local government. Most recently, I worked for the local tourism board in Victoria, where I handled responsibilities like the weekly newsletter and news releases, as well as supporting events like the annual AGM and Christmas Luncheon.

Outside of work, I try to be as active as possible. I can be found on my stationary bike or playing recreational volleyball, as well as on the golf course. I am a very avid, average golfer. I travel whenever I can – mostly to warm weather destinations. If you haven’t seen the Top Gun sequel, I highly recommend it.

As Kala and Stephanie’s wingman I will be responsible for the quarterly newsletter, membership renewal, the awards program, and many other items. I look forward to the challenges and the opportunities in the role. I had a great time meeting many of you at the recent Annual Conference in Whistler and will hopefully see you at Boot Camp and Fall PD.

Sincerely, Matt

THAT’S A WRAP! 2023 GFOABC ANNUAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

The 2023 GFOABC Annual Conference took place May 31-June 2, 2023, in Whistler. A total of 236 delegates attended over the three days, with another 197 attending virtually. There were 29 plenary and concurrent sessions over the course of the conference, on topics as varied as ESG, Climate Action, First Nations Reconciliation, Long Term Financial Planning, Geopolitical Risks, Trusts, and Ethics. It was a robust program where conference delegates could tailor their session attendance to their or their community’s needs.

2023 GFOABC ANNUAL CONFERENCE PRIZE WINNERS

A big congratulations to the following 2023 GFOABC Annual Conference delegates for their winning conference prizes!

GFOABC presented the Whistler Community Foundation with a gift of $2,500 in lieu of speaker gifts at the 2023 GFOABC Annual conference in Whistler, which took place May 31 – June 2, 2023. Pictured above are Claire Mozes (left), Executive Director of the Whistler Community Foundation and Nyla Attiana (right), President of GFOABC.

ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED:

• Olympic gold medalist Jon Montgomery delivering an opening keynote speech on the first day of the conference, as well as Dr. Hillary Curry from KMPG delivering an opening keynote speech on the second day of the conference.

• GFOABC’s Annual General Meeting, where we welcomed our 2023/24 Board of Directors.

• A forum for sharing ideas and input into GFOABC’s 2024-2029 Strategic Plan.

• Partner networking events hosted by BDO, KPMG and Deloitte.

• Remarks from new President Rhianna Lachance and the presentation of awards to recipients.

• The Gala Dinner, which was attended by over 260 delegates.

• In lieu of speaker gifts, $2,500 was donated to the Whistler Community Foundation.

Lastly, GFOABC also held additional pre-conference sessions on topic such as Asset Management, Regional District Day, Annual Municipal Tax Sale: Legislation and Legal, and Financial Indicators, as well as hosting the first Strategic Financial Leadership cohort as they embark on a journey to enhance their leadership strengths and development opportunities.

IN-PERSON TRADESHOW DRAW

2024 Kamloops GFOABC Conference

Complementary Registration

Tracy Bowen, Cowichan Valley Regional District

VIRTUAL

Thank you to everyone who attended! We will see you next year in Kamloops.

Sincerely,

Kala, Stephanie, and Matt

TRADESHOW DRAW

2024 Kamloops GFOABC

Complementary Accommodation

Emma Wu, Capital Regional District

GFOABC BOOTH & FOCUS GROUP PRIZE

Free Night at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler

Sue-Lin Tarnowski, District of Metchosin

STRATEGIC FINANCIAL LEADERSHIP

CHALLENGES LOCAL GOVERNMENTS NAVIGATE ARE INCREASINGLY COMPLEX. TALENT RETENTION, AGING INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING SUPPLY AND AFFORDABILITY, INFLATION, COST OF LIVING, CLIMATE CHANGE, RECONCILIATION WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, AND OTHERS ALL PLACE IMMENSE PRESSURE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO “DO MORE WITH LESS”.

These challenges demand next level leadership from local government staff, including exceptional strategic thinking, collaboration, innovation, and communication and engagement, and the ability to wrestle with complex trade-offs and to demonstrate grace under fire. This is particularly true for local government finance staff, who are at the centre of these challenges and are uniquely positioned to help their organization and community navigate them.

With this leadership imperative in mind, GFOABC, with support from Urban Systems Ltd. and ERPIE Advisory Inc. developed the Strategic Financial Leadership program for local government finance staff. Educational programming focused on leadership competency development exists but is not tailored to the local government finance context. Existing educational programming for local government

finance staff is often focused on technical aspects of finance and service delivery and not on leadership competency development. Together, this created a gap in the ecosystem of leadership competency development for local government finance. Strategic Financial Leadership is meant to address this gap. It is a cohort-based, applied leadership program for local government finance professionals who are eager to enhance their leadership competency while expanding their network, advancing an important initiative in their community, and positively contributing to the experience of peers in the program. The program is underpinned by GFOABC’s Leadership Competency Framework, which was developed in 2022 to guide GFOABC’s educational programming and as a tool for finance staff to use in hiring, performance assessment, and professional development contexts.

Strategic Financial Leadership kicked off at the recent 2023 GFOABC Annual Conference in Whistler with a cohort of nine finance staff representing small, mid-sized, and large municipalities and regional districts across the province. Strategic Financial Leadership will run for ten months and conclude with a capstone presentation delivered by the cohort at the 2024 GFOABC Annual Conference in Kamloops.

The goal is that as more cohorts experience the program over time, an inter-generational network of finance professionals is created, contributing to greater leadership capacity and relationships across the local government sector.

In addition to Strategic Financial Leadership, GFOABC will also be designing and delivering more focused programming on select leadership competencies, which as outlined in the Leadership Competency Framework include Strategic Leadership, Inclusive and Effective Collaboration, Service Excellence, Continuous Self-Development, Innovative Value Creation, Holistic Critical Thinking and Decision Making, and Effective Communication and Engagement.

We look forward to continuing to support members with their leadership development and will share updates on the Strategic Financial Leadership program and other leadership programming in the coming months.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP BEGINS HERE

FROM FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATORS TO TRUSTED FINANCIAL ADVISORS, FINANCE OFFICERS, AND THEIR TEAMS PLAY AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE AND THE ORGANIZATIONS IN WHICH THEY WORK. THE EXCELLENCE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE AWARDS RECOGNIZES THE MANY OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE PROFESSIONALS MAKE IN BUILDING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE PROVINCE.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS YEAR’S RECIPIENTS OF THE EXCELLENCE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE AWARDS:

NEW MEMBER AWARD

Mike Kennedy, City of Rossland

The New Member Award is to recognize new members who demonstrate the desire to take on the challenge of local government finance through education and professional development. To be eligible for this award, new members should have a maximum of two years of local government finance experience.

Mike Kennedy is this year’s recipient. He has made valuable contributions to GFOABC as an active participant in our online forum, sharing his knowledge and supporting GFOABC members around the province. He has also taken a keen interest in advancing the community’s natural asset agenda, going above and beyond the traditional role of a local government finance official.

INNOVATIVE IDEA AWARD (TEAM)

Chris Jury, City of Nelson

The Innovative Idea Award recognizes the originality and creativity of a program or project that has overall significance to local government. The program or project is a financial or technical advancement, improving a process significantly with proven cost and benefits, and has garnered recognition within the British Columbia local government community.

Chris Jury and the City of Nelson are receiving this award for the City of Nelson’s Financial Services Agreement with neighbouring municipalities. This agreement supports these communities with monthly and annual accounting services, as well as budgetary planning assistance. Through its provision of financial services, the City of Nelson is helping regional partners meet current standards of local government accounting and is contributing to better governance for citizens and taxpayers in the Kootenays.

LIFE MEMBER AWARD

Valla Tinney, District of Saanich (Retired)

The Life Member Award recognizes members and partners who have made significant contributions to local government. This includes an individual’s dedication throughout their career to GFOABC, promoting education, peer support and networking to enhance professional skills within local government.

Over Valla Tinney’s 30-year career, she has served her communities by enhancing their financial health, mentoring the next generation of local government finance officers, and initiating valuable educational programming through GFOABC. GFOABC benefited immensely from her eight terms on its Board of Directors and terms as President (2010-2012). Valla previously received the GFOABC Outstanding Achievement Award in 2015 and CPABC’s fellowship designation in 2017.

Do you know someone who deserves recognition? Then we want to hear from you!

GFOABC has five (5) Award Categories to celebrate outstanding achievements and contributions of local government finance professionals. We are looking for potential nominees for this year ' s selection process and what better way to find those superstars among us, than by asking local government finance professionals from across the province!

The Award Categories are:

New Member Award Outstanding Achievement Award

Innovative Idea Award Outstanding Contribution Award

Life Member Award

The details of each category can be found at gfoabc.ca/about-us/awards/. Please take a moment to check it out and think about someone you might know that should be recognized. If you have a person (or team) in mind, we would love to hear about it and help guide you through the nomination process. Please reach out to our Executive Director, Kala Harris, at execdir@gfoabc.ca.

Intake for Award Nominations is year-round!

Award nomination packages are due December 31st of each year

MFA’S POOLED FUNDS UNITHOLDER MEETING – A SNEAK PREVIEW

ARE YOU AN INVESTMENT EXPERT WHO KNOWS ALL THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT THE CANADIAN ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE AND FUTURE OUTLOOKS FOR FIXED INCOME AND EQUITY MARKETS? ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION’S INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO IS FULLY ALIGNED WITH YOUR FINANCIAL PLAN AND WILL PROPERLY SUPPORT YOUR OPERATIONAL AND CAPITAL NEEDS? DO YOU CONFIDENTLY TACKLE THE VALUATION OF YOUR UNITIZED INVESTMENTS WITH GUSTO? IF YES TO ALL THE ABOVE, CONGRATULATIONS AND I AM IN AWE! IF NOT, YOU ARE NOT ALONE, AND MOST OF US ARE RIGHT THERE WITH YOU.

The Municipal Finance Authority of BC (MFA) has been busy over the past several years opening a variety of new, tailor-made funds and investment options for local governments in BC. Considering this, I highly encourage you to register for MFA’s first Pooled Investment Funds Unitholder Meeting on the afternoon of June 21, 2023. This two-hour webinar will benefit all current and future unitholders of MFA’s Pooled Funds. This is your golden opportunity to hear from our Fund Managers directly and ask them all your burning questions.

We have a fantastic lineup of speakers for this session, including some of our highly knowledgeable partners who are keen to share their wisdom with us. From Philips, Hager & North (PH&N), we will hear from Chief Economist Eric Lascelles, who will deliver an economic update with a side order of laughter (if anyone can make a discussion about bond prices and recessionary indicators fun, it’s Eric). Karen Kerr, VP and Portfolio Manager with PH&N, will walk us through the performance of MFA’s pooled funds and provide a general overview of individual funds. Also joining us is Lenora Lee, Partner at KPMG LLP. She will be discussing preparation for the adoption of PS3450 Financial Instruments and related standards, including the impact on investments and transaction costs, and the benefits of using cost versus market valuation when accounting for pooled funds.

MFA’s Credit & Economic Analyst, Kyle Derrick, will review a simplified investment management process. This will include a high-level cyclical investment process, how to think of various pools of investable funds, and the universe of investments suitable for those funds. And last but (hopefully) not least, yours truly will provide guidance on accessing and managing your pooled fund accounts and give you the grand tour of some exciting improvements to the self-service functions available in our Client Portal. Shelley Hahn, our Chief Services Officer, will be moderating the session and generally keeping us all in line. If this all wasn’t incentive enough, those in attendance will have a chance to win some prizes. There truly is no better way I can think of to spend an afternoon.

Regardless of whether you can attend or not, MFA staff are always available to answer any questions you may have about your MFA investments. They are happy to jump on a call with you and your staff or provide presentations to your council if that would be helpful. Please connect with us anytime.

NICOLE GERVAIS is the Manager, Client Services with the Municipal Finance Authority of BC (MFA). She is responsible for managing the Client Service functions of the organization and supports a wide array of activities relating to borrowing, investing, and education. Nicole has an extensive background in the financial services industry, having served over 18 years in various roles in commercial and retail banking, and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Victoria Cool Aid Society.

HOLDING LAND IN TRUST: UNSHACKLING FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS SOMETIMES OWN LAND IN “TRUST”, PERHAPS MOST COMMONLY WHERE A PERSON, LIVING OR DECEASED, DONATES LAND AS PARK. LEGALLY, SUCH A “CHARITABLE PURPOSE TRUST” IS FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT AND ENFORCEABLE BY THE B.C. ATTORNEY GENERAL, AND THE TRUST CONDITION WILL PREVENT A LOCAL GOVERNMENT FROM SELLING OR CHANGING THE USE OF THE PROPERTY.

While “free” land is attractive, what can a local government do if trust property proves unsuitable for the intended purpose, or if there are insufficient funds to improve the property for that purpose? Go to court, of course! Section 184 of the Community Charter permits a municipality to apply to court to vary a trust “If, in the opinion of a council, the terms or trusts … are no longer in the best interests of the municipality” (see also section 282 of the Local Government Act). Two recent B.C. Supreme Court decisions illustrate.

In West Vancouver (District) v. British Columbia (Attorney General), (2020), Clara Brissenden had died in 1990, leaving a will that bequeathed a property to the District in trust as a park. The District left the park undeveloped for years, and in 2018 council adopted a plan to sell part of the property and use the proceeds to purchase other property to be added to Ambleside Park. The District applied to court under section 184. The court held that while the plan to sell some of the property was inconsistent with Ms. Brissenden’s intention that the property be used as park, section 184 of the Community Charter provides flexibility to vary trusts where a municipality is trustee:

[s.184(3)] clearly shows an intention on the part of the legislature to alter the common law as it relates to the variation of trusts held by municipalities. While the reference to the “the intention of the [settlor]” reflects a core consideration in the law of charitable trusts, the direction to the court to consider “the best interests of the municipality” in conjunction with

the settlor’s intention clearly derogates from the established common law.

The court approved the District’s plan, finding that Ms. Brissenden’s wishes included the development of park space generally and that the plan was in the best interest of the District and its residents.

In Comox (Town) v. British Columbia (Attorney General), (2023), the naturalist Mack Laing transferred a property (including his home) to the Town in trust for recreation and conservation purposes. He transferred the property in 1973, and when he died in 1983, his will bequeathed $48,000 to the Town in trust to improve and operate his former home as a natural history museum. The Town eventually determined that the funds were insufficient to convert the home to a museum and planned to demolish the home and use the trust monies to replace it with a nature viewing platform. The Town applied to court under section 184 to proceed with this plan. The court approved, concluding that the trust funds were never sufficient to convert the home into a museum and that the Town’s proposal would achieve Mr. Laing’s wishes.

As these cases show, section 184 can be used to remove the shackles that arise from accepting land in trust for park or other purposes, permitting a court to consider local government plans for the trust property in light of local government’s assessment of its own best interest.

MIKE QUATTROCCHI joined Young, Anderson in 1998 after practicing as an associate at a large Vancouver law firm. Mike holds a B.A. in Economics from Queen’s University, a Masters in Economics from the University of Toronto, and a law degree from UBC. He was called to the bar in 1997. Mike advises local government clients on a wide range of matters, with particular focus on corporate and commercial transactions, land use regulation, real estate development, project tendering and construction and environmental issues. He has assisted with all aspects of large land acquisition and construction projects, including in relation to parks, courthouses, fire halls, recreation facilities, seniors’ facilities and government offices. Mike’s practice also includes advising with respect to bylaw preparation, land expropriation, elections and public approval processes, the establishment of local government corporations and general local government issues. Mike is also the past Chair of the Municipal Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association BC Branch.

RISING DENTAL COSTS CONTINUE INTO 2023

TYPICAL COST INCREASES IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, AND THIS TREND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH THE RELEASE OF THE DENTAL FEE GUIDE ADJUSTMENT FOR 2023.

The dental fee guide is maintained by provincial dental associations. Its purpose is to recommend appropriate fees for various dental services. The fee guide serves as guidance for dentists (i.e., they are not mandatory). However, most dentists follow the recommendations in the Dental Fee Guide and align their fees to the Guide. For group dental plans, most insurers will establish reasonable and customary reimbursement rates based on the Dental Fee Guide, which means any adjustments will have a direct impact on dental plan costs.

2023 FEE GUIDE ADJUSTMENTS

Early each year, most provincial and territorial dental associations publish their respective dental fee guides. The weighted adjustments across all types of services available in British Columibia for 2023 are illustrated in Figure 1.

The British Columbia dental fee guide cost adjustment for 2023 results in increased costs of 5.99 per cent. This means plan sponsors can expect their dental costs to increase by roughly 5.99 per cent in 2023 if their utilization (i.e., frequency and type of services used) remains consistent compared to 2022 utilization.

This is the second consecutive year BC plan sponsors have experienced increased costs due to increases in the Dental Fee Guide (the 2022 adjustment resulted in a 7.35 per cent increase). There could be a variety of reasons that the recent increases are substantially higher than prior years, but there are a few potential drivers:

• Upward inflationary pressures have been observed in the broader Canadian economy.

• Reduction in revenue to dental offices due to Covid-19 (fewer patients, more time and costs associated with maintaining PPE protocols).

• Irregularities in data in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions. Dental Fee Guide increases could be addressing insufficient increases from 2020 and 2021.

• Talent shortages in the dental industry leading to higher cost structures within service delivery.

Apart from the first bullet regarding inflationary pressures, several of the possible reasons identified are short-term in nature.

WHAT CAN PLAN SPONSORS DO?

Plan sponsors do not control the Dental Fee Guide. Therefore, it is important to review the levers under your control to manage your dental costs. It may be prudent to your plan design (reimbursement levels and calendar year maximums for basic and major coverages) to ensure you are not exposed to undue risk, while also considering whether your delivery model is as efficient as it could be. Managing these two aspects of your plan effectively should help navigate these periods of higher service costs.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This article has been drafted on behalf of the UBCM Benefits Plan, a collective of approximately 130 municipal and affiliated groups across British Columbia. If you have any questions about the Plan, please contact Elvira Khismatullina (GroupBenefitsPlan@ubcm.ca) and we would be pleased to assist you

FIGURE 1: DENTAL FEE GUIDE INCREASES, BRITISH COLUMBIA: 2021-2023

TAKING YOUR FLEET INTO THE FUTURE... ON A STRETCHED BUDGET

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES - ACROSS BRITISH COLUMBIA AND NATIONWIDE - FACE TWO CONSTANT REALITIES: THE PRESSURE TO DELIVER FIRST-RATE SERVICES, AND THE NEED TO SQUEEZE EVERY OUNCE OF VALUE OUT OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS. LEADERS ARE CHALLENGED TO FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO MANAGE THEIR BUDGETS WHILE MAINTAINING HIGH STANDARDS OF QUALITY. EFFECTIVELY MANAGING A FLEET REQUIRES MORE THAN JUST TRACKING KILOMETRES, VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, AND KEEPING VEHICLES RUNNING.

A partnership with a full-service fleet management provider can offer government agencies broad expertise in optimizing fleet investments by assessing the total cost of operating vehicles and optimizing the life cycle of vehicles. Ultimately, this approach has saved agencies time, energy, and taxpayer dollars.

FLEET MANAGEMENT PAYS OFF

It’s no secret that older, high-mileage vehicles can be more trouble than they’re worth. Older vehicles are often expensive due to frequent maintenance requirements and reduced fuel economy. Other costs include administration, taxes, registration, depreciation, and insurance.

Many municipalities pay cash for light-duty vehicles to own their fleets. This approach typically limits a municipality to replacing a small percentage of vehicles

annually, often resulting in vehicles remaining in the fleet past their recommended lifecycle. A proactive, streamlined plan for buying and selling vehicles helps manage risk and lowers the total cost of fleet ownership. By working with a professional fleet management company, municipalities can replace more of their fleet annually while maximizing overall efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

A fleet management partner can help you consider all monthly costs, replacement schedules, maintenance, taxes, fuel, and other financial factors, so there is a clear picture of all potential expenses– and no surprises at the end of the quarter or fiscal year.

USING TECHNOLOGY TO DRIVE COST SAVINGS

Industry-leading cost control and reporting capabilities can reduce the total cost of ownership, while improving productivity and enabling a municipality to take advantage of the latest trends, such as incorporating electric vehicles (EVs) into a fleet. In a study of more than 91,000 Enterprise Fleet Management leased vehicles, researchers found that near-term electrification could achieve a total potential savings of $33 million and a reduction of 194,000 tons of CO2 emissions over four years.

All budgets and fleets require a different approach. It’s beneficial to partner with a company that can provide a customized solution to meet your municipality’s needs. Data-driven reporting provides fleet operators with a comprehensive view of each vehicle and cost driver to help track and evaluate fuel management strategies, scheduled and preventive maintenance and maintenance alerts, driver performance, accident management, crash avoidance, employee productivity, and data for regulatory compliance.

A SMARTER WAY TO BUY AND SELL

Combined with real-time market data and in-depth knowledge of a municipality’s unique needs and budget, a detailed financial analysis can help make informed financial decisions about replacing, holding, or selling

vehicles. Incorporating life-cycle management and setting thresholds that define when it is time to replace vehicles benefits both the municipality and its taxpayers. When it is time to sell, you have a partner with true re-marketing expertise, empowering you to achieve the highest possible returns, regardless of age, kilometres, or condition.

A TRUE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

At Enterprise Fleet Management, our expertise is in creating the best outcomes for our clients – whether they are government agencies, nonprofit organizations, or businesses. We understand that a vehicle fleet is a way for an organization to deliver the highest quality of service. Enterprise applies its expertise, technology, and industry acumen to make sure your fleet is safe, budget-conscious, and optimized to cost-effectively serve your constituents.

TIM MCCORMICK is the Director for Enterprise Fleet Management in British Columbia. Owned by the Taylor family of St. Louis, MO, Enterprise Fleet Management provides full-service management for companies, government agencies, and organizations operating medium-sized fleets of 20 or more vehicles and those seeking an alternative to employee reimbursement programs. Enterprise Fleet Management supplies most makes and models of cars, and light and medium-duty trucks, providing local hands-on account management, vehicle acquisition, financing, telematics solutions, and maintenance for the lifecycle of vehicles. Enterprise Fleet Management and its affiliate, Enterprise Holdings, together offer a total transportation solution. These businesses include car rental and carsharing services, truck rental, corporate fleet management, retail car sales, and a vehicle subscription service.

RISK APPETITE AND TOLERANCE STATEMENTS: IDENTIFYING

HAVE YOU BEEN SKYDIVING? I HAVE NOT. TO QUOTE CLINT EASTWOOD, “JUMPING OUT OF A PERFECTLY GOOD AIRPLANE IS NOT A NATURAL ACT.” YET IN 2021, THE US PARACHUTE ASSOCIATION REPORTED 3.57 MILLION JUMPS.

Both the ways we measure risk and the amount of risk we will assume can vary widely. We are each unique humans, with awareness and tolerance built into our DNA. Chemicals like dopamine impact our perception of risk— as do age, gender, stress, etc.

RISK APPETITE & TOLERANCE FOR ORGANIZATIONS

In 1995, Nick Leeson, a currency trader with Barings Bank, made failed bets on Nikkei futures totaling $1.3 billion, exceeding his employer’s capital and reserves. The 233-year-old bank was forced into bankruptcy.

Leeson had a risk appetite and risk tolerance beyond what Barings Bank could accept. This story shows how important it is to develop risk appetite and risk tolerance statements to document the risks an organization is and is not willing to accept.

THE RISK YOU’RE PREPARED TO ACCEPT

Risk appetite statements guide strategic plans, operational processes, and business continuity plans. For example, TD Bank’s statement reads as follows:

TD takes risks required to build its business, but only if those risks:

• Fit business strategy, can be understood, and managed.

• Do not expose the enterprise to significant single-loss events.

• Do not risk harming the TD brand.

Risk tolerance statements refine and “operationalize” appetite statements. They are measurable, realistic, monitorable boundaries within which a business must operate. For example:

• At all times, [organization] will maintain a rating of [xx] from [agency]

• Annual employee turnover will not exceed [xx%]

• Operational losses will not exceed [xx%] of [transaction type]

Risks can have a range of acceptable levels. For example, information security risk. The easiest way to avoid information security risk is to disconnect your computer from the internet. But that would mean no (external) email, no cloud computing, and no working from home. Requiring zero risk can prevent us from accomplishing our objectives.

Some risk is fine, but too much risk is not. Like navigating a road, the acceptable place to drive is in the middle.

WHAT TO DO WITH RISK APPETITE/TOLERANCE STATEMENTS?

Use them. Decision makers should understand the statements and consider whether their choices leave the organization within or outside established appetite/ tolerance parameters.

Report on them. Executives and risk committees should require regular updates on appetite/tolerance statement status. Discussions might include:

• Is the organization within its risk tolerance for 15 of its 16 metrics?

If so, what about the final metric?

• If uncomfortable accepting this level of risk, the metric identifies an area that needs attention/risk reduction.    Don’t let them get stale. Just as organizations change over time, so does risk appetite. Periodically evaluate statements for suitability, relevance, clarity, and need for context, adjusting them as necessary. Consider pairing this evaluation with strategic plan development—where we want our organization to go or not go are interrelated considerations.

CONCLUSION

Risk appetite and tolerance statements help align employee tolerances to organization-wide tolerances, for more consistent risk response across the board.

ED MCCAULLEY is a Principal Consultant at F.H. Black & Company Incorporated. Specializing in risk management, he collaborates with our clients to mitigate organizational risks by redesigning business processes and selecting, implementing, and supporting enabling technologies. For more than 25 years, Ed has been a driving force for insightful risk management, financial management, accounting, and internal auditing for organizations of all sizes. Ed is an attorney, holds a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation, a Juris Doctorate (JD), a Master of Business Administration (MBA), a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree (BBA) in Accounting, and is the author of Back to Basics: Balance Sheet Reconciliations which was featured in the Internal Auditor Magazine.

THE POWER OF DATA IN MANAGING RISK

DATA IS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING NATURAL CATASTROPHE RISKS FACED BY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. MANY COMMUNITIES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA ARE AT RISK OF EXPERIENCING CATASTROPHIC EVENTS, SUCH AS EARTHQUAKES. HOWEVER, THE FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY OF OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS ARE ON THE RISE AS WELL. TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE, ENSURE SUSTAINABLE SERVICE DELIVERY, PLAN FOR FINANCIAL PROTECTION AFTER A LOSS, AND PRIORITIZE RISK MITIGATION, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS MUST CAPTURE CRITICAL DATA WITHIN THEIR INFORMATION SYSTEMS.

Understanding what constitutes good data and why it is important can assist with future financial resiliency. From an insurance and risk perspective, both internal and external sources can be leveraged to manage short and long-term financial goals effectively.

Insurance companies rely on data to underwrite and model property risks, particularly those related to natural perils. Accurate and up-to-date details in your asset inventory are essential to correctly price the associated

risk of physical damage. Key data points include accurate building and contents replacement values, full street addresses with postal codes, construction type, year built, number of stories, and square footage. Data is also critical for understanding liability risk.

Differences in asset location, type, age, size, and occupancy can significantly impact vulnerability assessments for various natural perils. Therefore, inaccurate data can lead to inaccurate assessment of risk and premium calculations. Missing data adds uncertainty to risk analysis and often results in additional premiums to compensate for additional risk. Data accuracy is vital in this regard.

Some risk information may be more challenging to capture at the local government level than other risk information. Collecting up-to-date data and conducting analysis on property and liability claims history can inform risk mitigation strategies, and ensure adequate insurance coverage is available, where appropriate, to cover identified risk exposures. Make sure to connect with your insurance partner to assist with both data collection and data analysis.

Capturing comprehensive data on insurable asset inventory is essential to fully understanding the physical risks associated with these assets and effectively managing them. In this respect, asset management and insurance data capture share common building blocks and can be leveraged to accomplish the common goal of helping local governments be more cost-effective.

TIPS FOR CAPTURING GOOD DATA

1. Appraisals and Loss Control Inspections: Obtaining routine replacement cost appraisals will assist in capturing many of the data components used to analyze risk. Similarly, loss control inspections often capture key pieces of information, while at the same time identifying low, medium, and high-level risks with core assets to help prioritize funding.

2. Claims History: Establish a routine process for collecting claims data from insurance partners.

3. Collaboration: Data collection and quality require an iterative approach starting with the information you have and building outward through collaboration with team members, outside experts, and partners.

By harnessing the power of data, local governments can enhance their ability to manage natural catastrophe risks, make informed decisions, and ensure the resilience of their communities.

NICOLE PURVES is the Director of Insurance Services at the MIABC. Nicole has worked in the insurance industry for over 25 years, primarily involved in claims handling and commercial insurance services. She has been with the MIABC since 2008. She has also received her designation as a Chartered Insurance Professional and is also a licensed insurance broker.

GFOABC ONLINE FORUMS

AS A GFOABC MEMBER, ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL TOOLS AT YOUR DISPOSAL IS OUR ONLINE FORUM.

Through the Online Forum, local government finance professionals can access an archive of information going back to 2016, ask or answer questions to and from fellow finance professionals, and share pertinent documents. We will be reaching out to GFOABC members who have made visiting and engaging with the forum a part of their day-to-day and will be sharing their takes over the course of the next four newsletters.

This quarter, we have Kim Kenward Municipal Collector for the Township of Langley.

Here are her answers to a few of our questions:

WHY DO YOU COME TO THE FORUM?

That’s a simple answer: To get answers. My thought process is why reinvent the wheel when someone may have already come up with a solution? But on a more serious note, it is a great way to gather knowledge. As a new Municipal Collector, the forum is a wealth of knowledge from all over the province. It helps build my confidence to be able to ask my peers questions on unique circumstances that only municipal government employees deal with. A lot of our processes are annual occurrences so being able to rely on each other for help is fantastic. Being able to reach various contacts through the province at your fingertips is so beneficial, as you can see different perspectives on how things are done from small villages to large Metro Vancouver cities.

IS LOGGING ON PART OF YOUR DAILY ROUTINE?

To be honest no, I don’t log in every day. When I first became a member, I set up my permissions to notify me in certain areas, which is a fantastic feature. If I get an email alert then on a topic, I can always log in to view the discussion and corresponding comments, and if I have knowledge on the topic I will post. When I am looking for something, I do log in and search for past discussions that may have the answer I am looking for. Or if I can’t find what I need, I will post a new discussion.

HOW DO YOU THINK EXPANDED ENGAGEMENT ON THE FORUM AMONG GFOABC MEMBERS CAN HELP THEM IN THEIR DAY TO DAY?

The more people post the more knowledge is available to view. But I understand being shy to post. Sometimes, we think the question may seem “dumb” but from those “I’m not sure I should ask this question on a peer forum fear” comes out a whole discussion on how everyone is also searching for the same solutions. But without having that one person take the plunge everyone suffers in silence. The forum has always been a great resource and will continue to be. What I think helps with some of the fear is being able to create some private groups for certain questions. As we all know, municipal government has its unique challenges and not everything can be public. Even though the forum is now for members only it would also help to be able to break down even further into specific group types. A few years back, I collaborated with GFOABC and another member on how Municipal Collectors have challenges with asking certain questions in the forum for all to see. We want to be able to isolate our questions to just our peers relating to taxes. By doing this collaboration and having the tools to create a specific group for collectors, it has eased some fears for many to be able to openly ask questions that are specific to our needs.

WHAT FEATURES OF THE FORUM DO YOU USE THE MOST, (POSTING DISCUSSIONS, COMMENTING ON EXISTING DISCUSSIONS, SEARCHING THE DATABASE FOR INFORMATION, ETC.)?

I really like our private collector forums group; it allows me to source posted materials and ask more specific taxrelated questions, which can be sensitive in nature. These back-and-forth conversations can be a little more candid, and less formal. There are a few other private groups for other areas that members should be aware of. GFOABC could promote this more, to help new members and existing members get access.

I like the fact of there are various categories to choose from. The forum has accumulated so much information over the years and can be daunting to new members. By having the categories members can just start by choosing one to view.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR PERSONAL BEST PRACTICES WHEN IT COMES TO ENGAGING ON THE FORUM?

• Being clear in the Discussion Title on what the topic is.

• Selecting the best category for the discussion.

• Be specific in what you are looking for. For example, if you want a bylaw, ask for a bylaw.

• If you find out information that you think may not only affect you but could be a problem for others soon, give everyone a heads up. This way we can all work together to minimize the impact or to inform someone that may have no idea what they don’t know. Knowledge is power.

I cannot say enough great things about the forum. My colleagues from around the province have always been supportive and willing to help find the answers or provide solutions for workarounds. We are all in a very challenging unique line of work. It is not always black and white and there isn’t always an answer. By having this open dialogue forum, we can become better equipped to deal with the next challenge that may arise.

THANK YOU TO KIM FOR SHARING HER EXPERIENCE WITH THE ONLINE FORUM!

2023 GFOABC ANNUAL CONFERENCE

SMALL COMMUNITIES

GFOABC HELD A SMALL COMMUNITIES FORUM AT ITS 2023 ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN WHISTLER. THE FORUM TOOK PLACE ON JUNE 1. THERE WERE THREE PRESENTATIONS COVERING AN ARRAY OF TOPICS. THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THE TOPICS PRESENTED AT THE CONFERENCE.

EMPOWERING SMALL COMMUNITIES THROUGH DATA: STREAMLINING DATA MANAGEMENT AND VISUALIZATIONS FOR COMMUNITY PLANNING.

Presenting on this topic was Richard Kemble, Economic Development Officer - Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW).

Richard’s presentation highlighted data as a powerful tool for community planning, but also noted it can be difficult to collect, manage, and share effectively, especially for small communities with limited resources. the session explored an accessible approach to data management and visualization that can help small communities make informed decisions and encourage transparency and accountability.

Richard discussed RMOW’s data portal, which streamlines website management, data visualization and key performance indicators, and makes it easy for community members to access data. For individuals in attendance, the key takeaway from this session was to learn how to leverage these tools to empower their communities through data-driven decision-making and informed conversations.

THE SUSTAINABLE CFO

Presenting on this topic were Chris Jury, Chief Financial Officer - City of Nelson, Mark Tatchell, Chief Administrative Officer - Village of Tahsis, and Adia Mavrikos, Chief Financial Officer - Village of Tahsis.

FORUM REVIEW

It is no secret that smaller local governments have challenges filling positions. In response, some small communities are adopting innovative approaches to address this issue. An illustration of this approach can be seen in the City of Nelson, whose Chief Financial Officer (CFO) also serves four smaller neighbouring municipalities, assisting and supporting them throughout the year. Notably, the City of Nelson and the four municipalities undergo joint audits as well. Similarly, the Village of Tahsis encountered difficulties attracting a suitable candidate for their CFO role. Specifically, they had difficulty matching salaries from other local governments. They made the strategic decision to transform the CFO position into a part-time, remote position. Through this arrangement they attracted a suitable candidate. Both the City of Nelson and the Village of Tahsis have achieved remarkable success through these arrangements, resulting in enhanced stability and continuity.

This session also complemented Dr. Hilary Curry’s insightful opening keynote on June 1, 2023. Dr. Curry emphasized the importance of adopting a skill-based organizational design that distinguishes between operational and specialist roles. This framework lays a solid foundation for promoting employee retention and engagement.

RCMP COSTS: COMMUNITY CONSIDERATIONS WHEN APPROACHING THE 5,000 PEOPLE POPULATION THRESHOLD.

Presented on this topic were Kristen Watson, Chief Financial Officer - Bowen Island, Lorraine Coughlin, Director of Finance - Town of Gibsons, Bernice Crossman, Director of Finance - City of Duncan, Steffan Klassen, Director of Finance & Corporate Services - Town of Creston.

For community safety, the choice between utilizing the services of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) or engaging an alternative service provider is at the discretion of each municipality. For most British Columbia communities, utilizing the RCMP is the preferable choice. The primary consideration behind this decision is the federal government’s subsidy of RCMP services. For communities under 5,000 residents police services are cost-shared between the Province and federal government. However, when a community’s population grows and surpasses 5,000 residents, the subsidy is only 30 per cent for police services, with the municipality required to cover the remaining 70 per cent.

The presenters delivered an enlightening session, offering three distinct perspectives on the 5,000 resident RCMP cost-sharing threshold. These perspectives encompassed proactive preparations prior to reaching the threshold, the implications upon exceeding the threshold, and the ongoing repercussions of maintaining a police force for a population above 5,000 people. Among the noteworthy insights shared, particular emphasis was placed on the substantial financial impact associated with surpassing this threshold. Moreover, the presenters underscored the importance of fostering awareness and understanding among council members and citizens concerning the magnitude of the consequences once the 5,000 people population threshold is surpassed.

For conference registrants, the sessions are available for viewing until August 31, 2023, allowing flexibility and convenience in accessing valuable content. We encourage you to take full advantage of this extended timeframe and delve into the wealth of knowledge presented. Additionally, we encourage you to share your suggestions for future conference topics for the 2024 GFOABC Annual Conference in Kamloops with Stephanie Kast at skast@ gfoabc.ca. Your input is greatly appreciated as we strive to curate a comprehensive and relevant program for future conferences.

TANYA GAROST

On May 23, 2023, at GFOA Annual Conference in Portland, Tanya became the new president-elect for GFOA US & Canada! This is a major achievement and the GFOABC team is very proud to see one of our own achieve this important position.

If you know Tanya, you will be aware this achievement comes as no surprise. She has steadily risen in her career and in 2021 was appointed Chief Administrative Officer with the District of Lake Country. Her career spans over 20 years and includes positions such as Chief Financial Officer for the District of Lake Country, General Manager of Finance and Corporate Services for the City of West Kelowna, Director of Finance for the Thompson Nicola Regional District and Revenue Manager for the City of Kamloops.

Tanya served on the GFOABC Board from 2013 to 2019, joining the Executive in 2015 and serving as President for two terms. GFOABC was transformed during Tanya’s tenure setting the foundation for GFOABC’s 2019-2024 Strategic Plan and for the redevelopment of the Strategic Financial Leadership Program. Tanya was and continues to be a valued resource for GFOABC and its members, providing guidance and mentorship to local government finance professionals throughout the province. For her amazing service, she was the recipient of the GFOABC Outstanding Contribution Award in 2019.

As the President-Elect for GFOA US & Canada, Tanya will continue to leverage her incredible leadership qualities in support of provincial and state finance professionals across North America and beyond. Tanya’s work with GFOA US & Canada began in 2017 serving on the Standing Committee on Canadian Issues. She subsequently joined GFOA US & Canada’s Executive Board in 2020. Her goals for GFOA US & Canada are to enable the creation of stronger communities by working with governments to support their diverse communities, strive for equity for the many groups GFOA serves, and to create safe spaces for everyone that in return will support the attraction and retention of staff that so many public sector organizations struggle with.

IF THERE IS SOMEONE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION THAT YOU’D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE IN THE JUNE MEMBER SPOTLIGHT, LET US KNOW. Contact office@gfoabc.ca.

GFOABC IS PROUD TO HIGHLIGHT DISTRICT OF LAKE COUNTRY CAO TANYA GAROST IN THIS QUARTER’S MEMBER SPOTLIGHT!

Tanya’s position as President-Elect is without precedent for GFOA US & Canada as this is the first time in their history that three women are holding all three officer positions at the same time. Tanya is the first Canadian woman to achieve this position and will be the first Canadian woman to be President in 2024. Tanya will be the 11th GFOA US & Canada from Canada since 1906. (See Figure 1)

We were thrilled to welcome Tanya to the 2023 Annual Conference in Whistler to congratulate her on her election to President-Elect and to help kick off her tenure. She was joined by GFOA US & Canada’s Past President, Terri Velasquez, and Executive Director/CEO, Chris Morrill. We also welcomed Sandra Zwiers, President of the Municipal Finance Officers Association of Ontario, Alvin Allim, President of the Government Finance Officers Association of Alberta, and Dan Legard, President of the Washington (State) Finance Officers Association to join us in celebrating Tanya’s achievement.

We look forward to following Tanya on her journey to GFOA President!

Please join us in congratulating Tanya!

2010-2011 | Mr. Len Britton

2009-2010 | Mr. Paul Macklem

1992-1993 | Mr. John Pickard

1980-1981 | Mr. Fernard Denis

1964-1965 | Mr. Leland Romkey

1958-1959 | Mr. James Lowther

1951-1952 | Mr. L. Roberge

1948-1949 | Mr. C.L. Beazley

1935-1936 | Mr. G.A.  Lascelles

1929-1930 | Mr. Charles Tulley

FIGURE 1: PAST CANADIAN PRESIDENTS OF GOFA US & CANADA SINCE 1906

Collector’s Corner:

2023 GFOABC CONFERENCE COLLECTOR’S FORUM SESSION

This year the 2023 GFOABC Annual Conference was held in-person in Whistler. About 60 finance officers attended the Collectors’ Forum session. Doug Stein, GFOABC facilitator, and Mallory Denniston, CFO, Powell River hosted the session. The guest speakers were Graham Held from BC Assessment, Michael Moll from Civic Legal LLP, Joshua Craig from Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Kally Khaira from the Ministry of Finance.

Graham Held presented on the topics of permissive and revitalization exemptions, self-service reporting, and Risk to Roll. He stressed that the deadline to adopt the Permissive Tax Exemption Bylaw is October 31 and cannot be backdated. He highlighted three instructional videos on how to use the new Self-Serving Reporting features, discussed how the Risk to Roll Report is updated in real time, and additional reports are coming.

Michael Moll presented on the theme “Adjustments to Taxes (and a Quick Note on Tax Sales)”. Michael discussed different scenarios requiring an adjustment to taxes such as due to a supplementary assessment roll or subdivision. He highlighted that the assessed owner per s.251 of the Community Charter is liable for property taxes and that in the case of a change in ownership and issuing a refund, the collector should seek a consensus of the assessed (former) owner and the current registered owner. He emphasized that the tax notice is a legal document. Michael also mentioned the new tax sale legislation (s.647.1 of the Local Government Act).

Joshua Craig from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, by way of a pre-recorded presentation, updated the collectors on the status of the five recommendations from the Ombudsperson’s Report regarding the tax sale process. The new legislation requiring Collectors to notify owners with delinquent property taxes in advance of the tax sale auction will be effective for the 2024 property tax year. Joshua also reminded the collectors of the provision in sections 128 and 128.1 of the Community Charter regarding authorizing electronic meetings with regards

to the financial plan and tax rates bylaws. He encouraged councils to adopt or amend their procedure by law to permit electronic, regular, or special council meetings to meet the legislative deadlines if there are unforeseen or emergency circumstances. Brittany Johnson, Financial Officer, Local Government Finance who was in attendance, emphasized that collectors use the correct assessment base in determining tax rates and that the deadline to adopt the tax rates bylaw is before May 15.

Kally Khaira from the Ministry of Finance explained the structure and responsibilities of the Annual Property Tax Division including homeowner grants, property tax deferments, speculation and vacancy tax, school and police taxes, audit and compliance. She mentioned that the Ministry of Finance is implementing a school tax audit program. She also announced the Ministry would like to enter into an information sharing agreement and asked for a few municipalities to volunteer to review the agreement. If interested, please contact Kally.

Thank you to GFOABC for sponsoring the Collectors’ Form session at the Conference and the quarterly Collectors’ Forum webinar. The next Collectors’ Forum webinar will be July 26.

DOUG STEIN has worked in municipal finance for over 30 years. In 2011 he retired from his position as Manager of Revenue Services for the District of Saanich. Doug leads the Collectors’ Forum, is a GFOABC Life Member, and a CPA, CMA.

SHORT-TERM RENTALS

CIVIC INFO POLLED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ACROSS BRITISH COLUMBIA ON THE TOPIC OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS, RECEIVING RESPONSES FROM 30 PER CENT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

The results revealed that regulations pertaining to short-term rentals vary, reflecting the unique needs and priorities of each jurisdiction. Of those that responded, only 33 per cent of local governments currently have regulations in place governing short-term rentals.

KEY FINDINGS

Rental Permissions:

• 78 per cent of surveyed local governments allow suites in owner-occupied residences to be rented as shortterm rentals.

• 67 per cent of surveyed local governments permit the renting of entire homes as short-term rentals.

Community Concerns:

• Housing availability was the most cited concern, with 72 per cent of respondents considering the impacts of short-term rentals on the local residential rental market.

• Noise was a concern for 53.7 per cent of the respondents.

• Parking was identified as a concern by 48.15 per cent of the respondents.

• Safety was mentioned as a concern by 29.63 per cent of the respondents.

• Other concerns included garbage management (25.93 per cent) and the cost of permits (5.56 per cent).

Enforcement and Licensing:

• Concerns were raised regarding local government’s ability to track and enforce short-term rental regulations and licensing.

• Less than 10 per cent of the respondents reported actively issuing fines for non-compliance in 2022.

• Two thirds of local government respondents rely on their regular business licensing practices for shortterm rentals.

• Only one third of local government respondents reported having a stand-alone business license policy specifically for short-term rentals.

This report provides a snapshot of the current state of short-term rental regulations in BC. For more detailed results on this topic or any other past questions, please contact surveys@civicinfo.bc.ca.

THE NEXT QUARTERLY QUESTION TOPIC: GROWING COMMUNITIES FUND

Please use this link to be a contributor: https://q.surveypal.com/ Quarterly-Question-June-2023-Growing-Communities-Fund

This short survey should only take 3-5 minutes to complete.

If you would like to contribute topics for upcoming questions, please contact office@gfoabc.ca or call (250) 382-6871.

MEET THE 2023-24 GFOABC BOARD OF DIRECTORS!

NYLA ATTIANA

Nyla became Chief Administrative Officer for the District of Tofino in 2022 after serving as their Chief Financial Officer for over 12 years. Nyla is the Past President of GFOABC and she sits as a board member for the Tofino Housing Corporation where the mandate is to provide affordable and attainable housing to the community.  Being born and raised on Vancouver Island, Nyla declares the Island as her lifelong home. She is honoured to live in Tofino with her family and can be found outside of work enjoying the outdoors and volunteering within the community.

JULIA ASPINALL

Julia is the Director, Financial Services and Deputy Director of Finance in the City of Vancouver.  She joined the City three years ago after working 20+ years in the private sector and found the local government sector inspiring and purposeful. Her transition from the private to public sector right at the onset of COVID reaffirmed her choice of making this leap with the evident impact and importance of local government has on its local communities and people.  Julia has been an active member of GFOABC since she joined local government and enjoys being part of this network that brings together talented people who are passionate about local government. Julia’s part-time job is chauffeuring her kids to their activities while volunteering in non-profit organizations. She hopes to be paid as a hobby gardener and an outdoor enthusiast one day.

CORRINE BOMBEN

Corinne is the Chief Financial Officer at the City of Prince Rupert, her home town, and has held the position for 10 of her 12 years in local government. Prior to her adventures in municipal finance, she spent 14 years in public practice. Finding herself in a senior position at the municipality and actively helping to improve her home community is a surprising passion she feels fortunate to have stumbled across.  A far cry from her early adult aspirations of international business, she finds fulfillment in helping to chart a course for community renewal and is blessed to have an amazing finance team assisting those efforts. Outside of City Hall, you can find Corinne playing hockey, walking her dog, and most recently, dipping her toe in musical theatre.

NICOLE GERVAIS

Nicole Gervais is the Manager, Client Services with the Municipal Finance Authority of BC (MFA) and has extensive background in the financial services industry, serving over 18 years in various roles in commercial and retail banking. She is responsible for managing the Client Service functions of the MFA and supports a wide array of activities relating to investing, borrowing, and education. The MFA, through its strong interest in building capacity in local government, and in conjunction with KMPG, is proud to be a founding member of GFOABC. Nicole is passionate about community outreach and has been fortunate to be able to support local non-profits through volunteering and securing donations and corporate sponsorships throughout her career in financial services. She has also had the honour of facilitating financial literacy and other community-focused programs. Prior to joining the GFOABC leadership, she sat on the Board of Directors for the Victoria Cool Aid Society.

MIKE KENNEDY

Mike Kennedy is a coffee-fueled, systems-thinking CPA, CA, and is passionate about making righteous mischief at the place where accounting and social impact meet. He currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the City of Rossland, British Columbia. His career journey to date has included twenty years of progressive leadership roles in public, private and third sectors. Immediately prior to taking on the role of CFO, Mike served as a tenure-track professor in accounting at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. He has also worked as an assurance, strategy and operations consultant with Deloitte, a public servant with the Province of Nova Scotia (Departments of Health, Finance, and Public Engagement Support Unit) and been owner of several small businesses, including a bacon sandwich shop on the Halifax waterfront. In his spare time, he loves cycling, cooking, playing music and is a marginally talented but highly enthusiastic skier.

RIANNA LACHANCE

Rianna is the Senior Manager of Financial Services for the Capital Regional District, Capital Regional Hospital District and the Capital Region Housing Corporation. She joined local government in 2011 after leaving private industry and has held a variety of roles both at the municipal and regional levels of local government. Rianna is currently the President of the GFOABC Board of Directors and has always been an active member since joining local government. She is particularly passionate about the education of our members and continues to make direct contributions in support of the wide variety of professional development opportunities the GFOABC delivers every year. Above all else she has a deep respect for the role GFOABC has in supporting its members and the role its members have in improving the lives of British Columbians in communities across the province.

LENORA LEE

Lenora is an audit partner with KPMG in Victoria where she provides financial statement audit and advisory services relating to technical accounting, internal audit, and internal control for private companies, not-for-profit and public sector organizations. Lenora has been an important contributor to the success of the Government Finance Officers Association of British Columbia (GFOABC). She has served on GFOABC’s Board since 2015 and over her Board tenure, Lenora has also served on the Finance & Administration, External Relations, and Education Committees. Lenora not only shares her time and expertise with GFOABC and its members, but she is also active in the community, serving as a director with the Royal BC Museum since 2021 and as an ambassador for the University of Victoria from 2002 to today. In 2021 Lenora was awarded the fellowship designation (FCPA) by CPABC for her many outstanding professional achievements and community contributions, and an Outstanding Contribution Award from GFOABC in 2022 for her support of GFOABC and its members.

JEFFREY LOVELL

Jeffrey is the Director of Finance for the City of Port Coquitlam, taking on all the statutory responsibilities of the Chief Financial Officer as well as overseeing Procurement and Risk Management for the City. Working in local government management for over 13 years, Jeffrey has been part of organizations both small (CFO/ DCAO, Fort St. James) and large (Division Manager, Metro

Vancouver) with an ongoing focus on financial planning, capital, and fiscal sustainability. Returning to the City of Port Coquitlam after a 6-year hiatus, Jeffrey now enjoys living, working, and raising his young family in beautiful PoCo. Outside of work, Jeffrey can be found at the local soccer pitch watching his son play or finally completing home renovations long overdue. He is looking forward to getting to know other GFOABC board members and giving back to the association of which he is a longtime member.

CHARLOTTE OSBORNE

Charlotte Osborne, CPA, CGA, has been the Director of Finance and CFO for the City of Cranbrook since 2013. She first joined the City team in 2006 as the Financial Services Manager. Before deciding to make the leap to local government, Charlotte worked for BDO Dunwoody, LLP as an audit manager. Charlotte’s accounting career started at Maki Staudt Chartered Accountants where she was hired as a co-op student, moving up to the position of senior manager before the firm was bought out by BDO Dunwoody. Charlotte was late to the accounting table. The first ten years of her work-life were spent with the federal government working in employment programming and GST collections. Charlotte was one of the original members of a group that built an 18-unit condominium on the beach in rural Mexico - a project that was at times a great source of frustration, but one that has ultimately resulted in a cherished home-away-from-home.

TALITHA SOLDERA

Talitha has been in local government finance for 22 years, beginning with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. She is now the General Manager of Corporate Services for the District of North Cowichan; overseeing the Legislative Services, Information Management, Information Technology, Human Resources and Finance Departments. Talitha enjoys sharing her experience working in both Regional Districts and Municipalities with those attending GFOABC Bootcamp each year. Talitha also actively contributes to organizations supporting women, volunteering on the Board of the Cowichan Women Against Violence Society for many years.

ELIO IORIO

Elio Iorio is the Revenue and Taxation Manager at North Vancouver (District). His biography is not available currently.

THANK YOU EXHIBITORS

THANK YOU SPONSORS

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office@gfoabc.ca • (250) 382-6871