Cluculz Residents Talk with Lawyer Over Referendum
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 @ 3:57 AM
Cluculz Lake, B.C. – Residents of Area F in the Bulkley-Nechako Regional District who oppose the results of the recent Vanderhoof Pool referendum have had their initial meeting with a lawyer, and hope to have a legal opinion on their position by early next week.
Many of the residents believe the referendum process was flawed. The referendum called on them to vote on a service fee to pay for operations of a newly approved $12 million dollar public pool in Vanderhoof.
The referendum passed, (585 in favour, 472 opposed) meaning property owners in area “F” including those at Cluculz and BobTail Lakes, would be required to pay about $1.08 per thousand dollars of assessment on their properties.
Residents have raised questions about the ballot including:
- residents of Bobtail Lake, a number of whom live in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island, were not offered a mail-in ballot
- the season of the vote – if it were held in August or September, more residents would have been eligible to vote by virtue of having been at the lake for the past 30-days
- some cases of people being denied the right to vote. ie. one man in attendance had authorization from his wife to vote on her behalf because she was sick, but was not allowed to
Residents have until March 23rd to file their legal challenge to the referendum.
Resident Randy Holubush says the lawyer they have consulted with is expected to return a legal opinion on their complaint early next week. Holubush says the donations collected at the weekend meeting at the Cluculz Lake Community Hall will cover the initial legal opinion and filing of the complaint with the Court.
A bank account has been established at the CIBC at Pine Centre Mall to accept donations for any legal battle. Holubush says he and Martin ran into a minor hiccup when they went to open the account as a they were told a trust account to hold donations for legal fees was not allowed under the banking act. He and Dick Martin then opened a joint account which requires both to sign to authorize any withdrawals. That account number is 08950-84-42398
Comments
I wish these people all the luck in the world, should they be successful can you imagine the possibilities? Anytime you don’t agree with the outcome of an election or vote you can court challenge the results. Maybe I can even pick and choose what tax’s I wish to pay. Let’s get real and suck it up butter cups, we all agreed to live by a process. It may not be perfect but it is better then a lot of others out there.
Randy1955, you are correct in that we ‘live by a process’, it is when the process may be flawed or manipulated is when the problem starts. Imagine the possibilities if any special interest group can manipulate a vote therefore destroying democracy. I am not saying this occurred, I am saying that something does not smell right.
“Anytime you don’t agree with the outcome of an election or vote you can court challenge the results”
That right exists right now and has for some time. That is why they can do it.
The thing is, it is unusual for government to screw it up as badly as they did this time. The very process of the area to be included was botched up.
It seems odd Bobtail lake was included in the ballot area since there are what, 2 full time residences out there, if that? The rest are seasonal, barely. Sounds like stacking the vote in the pro favour. Sorta like enbridge saying they have all these first nations on board for the pipeline, but not including that the reality is they are far away from the actual areas affected, so of course they are going to go for the easy money.
We have a seasonal place 3 hours out of mckenzie, if we were included in a vote for a mckenzie infrastructure that was going to add $100-$200 to our tax bill each year and I had to drive all the way to mckenzie to cast my vote, I would be pissed too.
Editor,
Is posting the account number online secure?
All the best Brother Holubush.
Randy1955 the point is people who are being forced to pay the taxes were not included in the vote on the new taxes. If a referendum is held for all tax payers in the area and the majority are excluded from the vote should they just “suck it up”? If people want to pick a side its fine….just read the facts before you pick a side.
Dean it is my understanding that all property owners were ‘allowed’ to vote as long as they were residing in BC. However, logistically it was not reasonable that they could. If someone was residing 500+ km away and had to go to Vanderhoof to vote (not given mail in voting privledges), it is unlikely they would vote and therefore tipping the votes for the pro camp.
You also had to be at your place within the past 30 days. Making a winter vote tip in the favour of the pro camp. Shouldn’t matter if you were at your place in the past 30 days either. You are a stakeholder either way.
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