'Tone deaf' for council to spend $95,000 on social media coordinator hire as thousands out of work: councillor

Summary

A city councillor is questioning a move to hire a social media coordinator

Coun. Sarah Kirby-Young says Vancouver was going to boost street sanitation by $300,000 but now is spending $130,000

And about 1,800 city employees have been laid off during the pandemic

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — A city councillor is wondering why Vancouver is spending $95,000 to hire a social media coordinator for the city manager’s office, when nearly 2,000 city employees are temporarily out of work during this pandemic.

The vote came down in a council meeting Tuesday night and Sarah Kirby Yung it just doesn’t make sense right now.

“When we have a hiring freeze in the City of Vancouver, we have 1,800 of our staff that are on temporary layoff remaining staff that are working that are exempt that have taken a 10 per cent pay cut, and we’re going to hire another social media resource when we have a very robust communications department?”

Kirby-Yung is also taking issue with council voting to reduce a boost in funding for litter pickup and street sanitation by $130,000, saying the issue should be a much higher priority.

“We’re hearing that loudly from residents and businesses across the city that it’s getting worse, and we need that. It’s really important to have for businesses to operate and for people to feel safe and that’s they’re living in a healthy space across our city,” she says.

The total has been reduced from $300,000 to $170,000.

“It just is tone-deaf, and it doesn’t send the right message. I think it’s really indicative of council meeting to listen to the people we serve and hearing the fact it is a tough time lead by example,” she argues. “I just think it’s the wrong decision at the wrong time.”

Kirby-Yung says the city’s communications department is big enough already.

“It’s grown quite significantly over the past number of years. It’s a pretty healthy communications department, I can say that. I’ve worked in communications myself, and I think that we have a significant staff compliment there,” she explains. “I think, just like the other departments are having to do, people are having to reprioritize projects in terms of what needs to be done right now, and I think this is one of those situations.”

NEWS 1130 has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment.