The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) board will soon consider a request that came from the Gibsons Chamber of Commerce -one that called upon the SCRD to pursue a government audit.
In November of last year, the province announced legislation that created the office of the auditor general for local government (AGLG).
The provincial government's intent was to have the AGLG work alongside municipalities, finding more efficient ways to spend tax dollars.
"The timing for this audit could not be better as several candidates, some of whom are now elected officials, campaigned for a core review of services," read the open letter from the Gibsons Chamber to chair Garry Nohr and the SCRD's board.
A vote by the Gibsons Chamber membership showed support for an AGLG audit of the SCRD to be stronger than pursuing one for the District of Sechelt or Town of Gibsons.
In their letter to Nohr, the Chamber called it an "opportunity to lie to rest certain perceptions expressed within the business community regarding the SCRD's performance."
While Nohr agreed that the creation of the AGLG might have the potential to bring benefits to municipal governments, he was unsure about what benefits there could be in requesting the SCRD be audited directly.
Municipal governments may volunteer themselves for an AGLG audit, but ultimately the choice rests with the province. The hope is that findings related to the AGLG might be replicated to benefit other municipalities.
But a core review of services, which the Chamber requested, is another matter that "would cost us a couple hundred thousand dollars to do," Nohr said.
"There's nobody here that's concerned about it," he said. The government has "told us that they're going to be picking who they [audit]. Nobody else picks for them. If they decided to [audit] us, they'll do us."
Nohr said that if the SCRD board finds that requesting an AGLG audit is necessary, it should be done, but he suspected the waiting list would be a long one.
