Victoria – A new survey from the Union of B.C. Municipalities shows that the Premier Clark’s Auditor General for Local Government project has only increased the burden on local governments and costs for local taxpayers.

”Premier Christy Clark claimed that the AGLG would help local taxpayers, but this survey shows that AGLG audits cost municipalities an average of more than $12,000 for little or no results,” said NDP local government spokesperson Selina Robinson.

The survey’s findings include:

• AGLG staff and contractors have little understanding about the operations of local government;
• AGLG staff wasted one year and cost a local government $20,000 auditing police services over which the AGLG has no jurisdiction;
• Participation in AGLG audits cost local governments’ an average of $12,378, and resulted in local government staff being asked the “same questions over and over again by auditors who did not understand the business.”
• Only 2 of 17 local governments surveyed felt that AGLG audits provide valuable information that will improve local government operations.

“The premier’s pet project has already wasted $5.2 million in taxpayer’s money with more legal bills and consultants’ fees piling up every day. This survey shows that instead of saving money, the AGLG is now placing an additional burden on hard-pressed local taxpayers.”

The UBCM survey can be found here: http://www.ubcm.ca/EN/meta/news/news-archive/2015-archive/local-government-perspectives-on-aglg-operations.html