Management and Discussion Analysis – 2022
Role of a municipal government:
A Community Government is in place to provide good government to the residents, to develop and maintain safe municipalities, and to provide services, products, and facilities. However, a municipality’s actions are guided by several sets of legislation enacted by the Government of the Northwest Territories.
In Norman Wells municipal government provides:
- Fire protection
- Land planning
- Roads, water, sewer infrastructure and support
- Recreation facilities and programs, events
- Landfill, garbage collection solid waste management
Much of what we provide constitutes an essential service and cannot be put at unmanageable risk, we therefore research and implement strategies to ensure our long-term stability and plan accordingly. We have focused on becoming an economically healthy organization.
Revenue streams:
- Taxes
- Fee for service
- Grants
- Fees
- Raw resources
- Human resource skill that add value to the bottom line (grant writers)
Risks:
- Limited resources
- Decreasing federal support
- Decreasing population
- Increased cost of living
- Global uncertainties
- Shrinking skilled labour pool
- Increased regulation from external bodies i.e.: landfill
- Many of our services are provided to the community under the “public park” model in that our recreation facilities, events and programs are free to all users.
- Lower tax base
- IORL phasing out of production.
Risk mitigation:
- Strong investment in staff recruitment, engagement, training
- Focused resource on grant research and application
- Reserve building
- Solid capital planning and funding
- Look to development of new revenue streams: (revenue much higher than projected)
- IORL quarry contract which will provide monthly/annual revenue.
- Ground transport contract which will provide revenue of at least #30K and provide increased service to the community.
- No residential tax increase and minimal fee increases
- Succession planning and ongoing support