NANAIMO'S DONUT ECONOMICS FAILURE

Example Of Bad Management?

City staff explain in the front-page Bulletin article that costs have risen sharply, impacting the ability to maintain Nanaimo’s infrastructure.

When asked what funding level is needed for asset management, the City’s Director of Engineering said:
“I think the solution is probably an increase from one per cent to something a little more than that. But what that number is—and setting that decision up for council in a way that makes sense—will take staff a bit of time. We’ll have to rebuild the asset management models, and that’s probably a couple of years out.”

This quote sums up the problem with how Nanaimo is managed. The headline warns of looming infrastructure failure, yet the City’s top engineer says it’ll take years to even figure out what funding is needed.

This is the consequence of running a city based on donut economics instead of sound management focused on core services.

How can we be in a funding crisis for critical infrastructure while also handing out 11.5% wage increases, ripping up Commercial Street, redoing Metral Drive, buying land for a new bus depot, spending millions on a boathouse, and pouring more into a curling rink—all while our roads, water systems, and other essential services crumble?

It’s time for a change. City councilors who support this donut thinking must be replaced by those who understand the basics: sound management means prioritizing core services first.

Fat wage increases and bike lanes to nowhere must take a back seat to the real needs of the city—starting with keeping the infrastructure we already have in working order.