library - bma 2011 report released - letter to stouffville mayor and council

8/2/2019 Library - BMA 2011 Report Released - Letter to Stouffville Mayor and Council

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From: Arnold Neufeldt-Fast

Subject: BMA Study 2011, Feb 2012

To:[email protected]

Cc: "Carolyn Nordheimer James"[email protected],Marc Pourvahidi

[email protected]

Date: Sunday, April 1, 2012, 11:33 PM

Dear Mayor and Council (cc: Marc Pourvahidi, C. Nordheimer James),

I have had a chance to review parts of the new draftBMA Muncipal Study 2011(Feb. 2012). Again this

year Whitchurch-Stouffville ranks high in many areas; for that, you are to be congratulated.

Good leadership also pays attention to areas of weakness. As I noted to council in a presentation last

June, compared to other communities our size we come off very poorly with respect to the library. Like

last year we are in last place for Towns with a population between 20,000 and 49,000 people; but this

year is worse than last:

* Whitchurch-Stouffville Municipal Performance Measurement Program (MPMP) Operating Costs per

person: $23; average for towns in our category is: $44 (p. 152; note last year it was $25 to an average of

$44 last year -p. 124).

Over a number of years, the BMA Reports show the W-S Library on a downward spiral: e.g., BMA 2007:

$30 per capita (p. 133); BMA 2008: $27 (p. 136) ... etc., while the provincial average goes up.

The Town's own published MPMP statistics indicate the same steady decline in per person funding of

the library from2006 to2010. As far back as2000, the library's operating costs were about $31.81 perperson ($700,000 totalwith pop. of 22,000).

A comparison with the recreation budget is telling of municipal priorities. The latest BMA Report shows

that the Whitchurch-Stouffville Rec Facilities & Programs per capita, including amortization is:

$205; the provincial average is $133 (p. 150). This is a huge and significant difference.

Back to the library ... the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports "Public Library Statistics" (2009 stats

came out last Fall) confirm the funding trend, but also show the consequences. E.g., in 2009 the W-S

Public Library held 5.8 items per active cardholder--the 2nd lowest among all Ontario communities with

between 30,001 and 50,000 people. Notice the trend 2008:6.14 titles; 2005:6.9 titles, etc.

The BMA Report does not always give a complete picture. However, together with other available dataand reports, and compared over time, it pinpoints the library as a significant area of long-term neglect.

I appreciate Council's willingness to consider this matter.

Arnold Neufeldt-Fast
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://bit.ly/H8Nvf6http://bit.ly/H8Nvf6http://bit.ly/H8Nvf6http://bit.ly/H8Nvf6http://bit.ly/H8Nvf6http://bit.ly/H8Nvf6http://www.clarington.net/htdocs/documents/finance/2011-BUDGET/2010-BMA-Clarington-Full-Rep.pdfhttp://www.clarington.net/htdocs/documents/finance/2011-BUDGET/2010-BMA-Clarington-Full-Rep.pdfhttp://www.clarington.net/htdocs/documents/finance/2011-BUDGET/2010-BMA-Clarington-Full-Rep.pdfhttp://www.sarnia.ca/pdf/01-F%20-%202007%20BMA%20Study%20-%20Final.pdfhttp://www.sarnia.ca/pdf/01-F%20-%202007%20BMA%20Study%20-%20Final.pdfhttp://www.sarnia.ca/pdf/01-F%20-%202007%20BMA%20Study%20-%20Final.pdfhttp://www.brantford.ca/Budget%20%20Finance%20%20Documents/BMA%20Report%202008.pdfhttp://www.brantford.ca/Budget%20%20Finance%20%20Documents/BMA%20Report%202008.pdfhttp://www.brantford.ca/Budget%20%20Finance%20%20Documents/BMA%20Report%202008.pdfhttp://whitchurchstouffville.fileprosite.com/FileStorage/785D4368B1EB4E3CB9450C1225FD663F-Report%201%20Attachment%20B.pdfhttp://whitchurchstouffville.fileprosite.com/FileStorage/785D4368B1EB4E3CB9450C1225FD663F-Report%201%20Attachment%20B.pdfhttp://whitchurchstouffville.fileprosite.com/FileStorage/785D4368B1EB4E3CB9450C1225FD663F-Report%201%20Attachment%20B.pdfhttp://whitchurchstouffville.fileprosite.com/FileStorage/313C27FB65AA42E6B08F407DA402F5D7-WorkspaceB&A%20Report%201%202010%20FINANCIAL%20STATEMENTS%20AN.pdfhttp://whitchurchstouffville.fileprosite.com/FileStorage/313C27FB65AA42E6B08F407DA402F5D7-WorkspaceB&A%20Report%201%202010%20FINANCIAL%20STATEMENTS%20AN.pdfhttp://whitchurchstouffville.fileprosite.com/FileStorage/313C27FB65AA42E6B08F407DA402F5D7-WorkspaceB&A%20Report%201%202010%20FINANCIAL%20STATEMENTS%20AN.pdfhttp://news.ourontario.ca/whitchurchstouffville/104399/page/3?n=13&q=libraryhttp://news.ourontario.ca/whitchurchstouffville/104399/page/3?n=13&q=libraryhttp://news.ourontario.ca/whitchurchstouffville/104399/page/3?n=13&q=libraryhttp://bit.ly/H8Nvf6http://bit.ly/H8Nvf6http://bit.ly/H8Nvf6http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/libraries/statistics2009/30001-50000/30,001_50,000_Key_Ratios_1st.pdfhttp://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/libraries/statistics2009/30001-50000/30,001_50,000_Key_Ratios_1st.pdfhttp://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/libraries/statistics2008/15001-30000/15001_30000_Key_Ratios_Part_1.pdfhttp://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/libraries/statistics2008/15001-30000/15001_30000_Key_Ratios_Part_1.pdfhttp://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/libraries/statistics2008/15001-30000/15001_30000_Key_Ratios_Part_1.pdfhttp://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/libraries/statistics2005/15001-30000/15001_30000_key_ratios_1st_part.pdfhttp://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/libraries/statistics2005/15001-30000/15001_30000_key_ratios_1st_part.pdfhttp://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/libraries/statistics2005/15001-30000/15001_30000_key_ratios_1st_part.pdfhttp://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/libraries/statistics2005/15001-30000/15001_30000_key_ratios_1st_part.pdfhttp://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/libraries/statistics2008/15001-30000/15001_30000_Key_Ratios_Part_1.pdfhttp://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/libraries/statistics2009/30001-50000/30,001_50,000_Key_Ratios_1st.pdfhttp://bit.ly/H8Nvf6http://news.ourontario.ca/whitchurchstouffville/104399/page/3?n=13&q=libraryhttp://whitchurchstouffville.fileprosite.com/FileStorage/313C27FB65AA42E6B08F407DA402F5D7-WorkspaceB&A%20Report%201%202010%20FINANCIAL%20STATEMENTS%20AN.pdfhttp://whitchurchstouffville.fileprosite.com/FileStorage/785D4368B1EB4E3CB9450C1225FD663F-Report%201%20Attachment%20B.pdfhttp://www.brantford.ca/Budget%20%20Finance%20%20Documents/BMA%20Report%202008.pdfhttp://www.sarnia.ca/pdf/01-F%20-%202007%20BMA%20Study%20-%20Final.pdfhttp://www.clarington.net/htdocs/documents/finance/2011-BUDGET/2010-BMA-Clarington-Full-Rep.pdfhttp://bit.ly/H8Nvf6http://bit.ly/H8Nvf6mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]