When it comes to municipal spending, the City of Salmon Arm puts up some high numbers.
But in this case, it’s a good thing.
A ranking by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) placed Salmon Arm at 130 out of 153 B.C. municipalities when it comes to spending versus growth. The ranking is the reverse of usual methods — in this case, the higher the number the better a municipality’s record.
The document ranks the municipal governments from highest to lowest in terms of actual operating spending between 2000 and 2010 and compares that to population growth and inflation.
The CFIB puts the worst-spending municipality, Lytton, at the number one spot and the best, Parksville, at the bottom with a ranking of 153.
At a respectable 130, Salmon Arm is included in the best 25 B.C. municipalities when it comes to spending. In the Thompson-Okanagan region, Salmon Arm is eclipsed by four other municipalities: Fruitvale at 151, Enderby at 143, Spallumcheen at 141 and Coldstream at 138.
The neighbouring District of Sicamous did not fare as well in the rankings, coming in at 69. The Village of Chase was ranked at 128.