Arthur Milnes
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 05/98) - Forget it.

This is the path consultants have told the City of Yellowknife to follow when it comes to assuming responsibility for health and social services from the GNWT.

The city contracted Terriplan Consultants Ltd., and IER Planning, Research and Management Services to look into the matter last winter. Their report was delivered last week and will be discussed by a committee of Yellowknife council this afternoon.

The 13-page report says that chances of the GWNT increasing base funding for the local health and social services board beyond 1998 levels are slim. It also notes there are financial and legal risks if the city should take such responsibility and, that such a change does not fit into the aspirations for self-government held by local First Nations and Metis groups.

On the financial side, the report's authors are blunt.

"Three population growth scenarios were considered and under each, some level of increased population is expected by the year 2008," the report says. "As there appears to be limited additional financial resources which will be made available by the GNWT, any rise in expenditures would most likely have to be borne by property taxes (partially offset by assessment growth)."

Such a takeover would also leave Yellowknife vulnerable should there be any future reductions in transfer payments from Ottawa to the GWNT. Similar concerns were raised about transfer cuts from the GWNT to the city.

The report comes as no surprise to Ruth Spence, chair of the city's health and social services community empowerment committee. It had been set up to provide input and advice to the consultants as they worked on their study.

"I think it's the only recommendation we could follow," she said Monday.

"The committee all unanimously agreed with the recommendation... We've been coming to the same conclusions ourselves at our meetings... At this point the city would be foolish to do this."

Spence added that the City of Yellowknife could perhaps re-examine the issue in a couple of years.

In the end, the consultants have advised the city to reject such a bid and that Yellowknife propose modifying the existing Yellowknife Health and Social Services Board to be a Yellowknife Community Health and Social Services Board.

Key stakeholders should have representation on the board and the City of Yellowknife should play a significant role on a broadly constituted health and social services board.