Peeling the Onion

-------- Your tax dollars at work ---------

Here's stuff I didn't know.... what about you?

The Nova Scotia Association of Regional Development Authorities is another body out there using taxpayer money to .... (can't help it.... makes me smile every time I think about it) ....."help local communities" enhance their prospects for socio-economic development..... at least that's what they claim.

For the official self-promotion stuff.... visit their web site at http://www.nsarda.ca/

HOWEVER.... when you read their stuff you should remember that this group has only filed their obligatory financial statements 3 out of the 10 years that they've been around. I've just received a few of them from RJSC.

FYI.... (I know that Frank Anderson ran this group for a number of years but I can't remember which ones....)

Here's their description of the NSARDA from one of their financial statements.

"The society was incorporated on October 25, 1999 under the Societies Act of the Province of Nova Scotia. The objects of the society are to foster inter-regional initiatives among Nova Scotia RDAs, foster cooperation with other development organizations and professional associations; to encourage and support RDA board members and staff; to implement ongoing networking activities for inter-organizational information sharing; to provide a forum for discussion of issues, and to generally elevate the profession within Nova Scotia."

WHEW! These guys sound important to our future.... don't they?

Of course, its cost us a little money over the past decade.... unfortunately, its hard to tell how much because they've managed to avoid filing financials 70% of the time since they were incorporated.

But hold on..... don't get discouraged.... I did get two years of financial statements.... just for you dear readers.... had to pay for them.... but hey.... the things curiosity drives you to... you know!! I've scanned a few pages so you can get a bit of the flavour for this VITAL organization. and you can click on them below to enlarge.

Here's a bit of what I noticed...... right off the bat....

1. It appears that there were no financial statements even prepared in 2004!

2. Primary sources of funding for this bunch are ACOA, Department of Economic Development and .... of all people..... our own RDAs?!?

3. Funding and expenditures appear to have been erratic over the past decade if the three years depicted in these two statements are any indication.

4. If these three years are typical it would appear that funding and expenditures for NSARDA over the past decade is somewhere between $1 million and $2.5 million... wow!

Now let me direct your eyes to a couple things I've noticed on these summary sheets that raise questions for me......

In 2006.....

Insurance $3,250..... what were they insuring.... fishing boats?

Parking $1,346..... for staff?

Professional development and meetings $14,848.... who are they training... the folks we're already paying to train or themselves?

Salaries and benefits $130,073.... how many people does this office have?

Travel $9,513... must be traveling with the SWSDA crew... or did this cover Pat Nickerson and Frank Anderson too?

In 2005.....

Marketing and branding $21,624..... who are they marketing and branding?

Communications $24,134..... funny, I never heard from them... wonder what this paid for?

Professional development and meetings $46,077.... where'd they go for this... Fiji?!?

Salaries and benefits $153,404.... here we are in small rural communities unable to afford key staff in tourism, economic or community development.... just no justice.... or sense!

Travel $10,332.... there they go again... almost looks like they spend all their time on the road.... have you figured out what they do yet?