Councillor Glen Moose Scott Would Have Us Believe It's Only Money

By Ben Meisner

Last week  Glen Moose Scott (seeking re election for his third term in office) took me to task for suggesting that the economy was heading for the ”tank” in BC. He said that was not the case and he would pledge that during his term in office he would see the construction of the new Performing Arts Center, hire 6 new police officers, and  install surveillance cameras in the down town area.

I raised the matter that after we had built a new Performing Arts Center, where would we get the money to maintain it? After we hire 6 new police officers at $117,000 per year each, where would we get the 90% that we as taxpayers need to pay every year. I also asked where we would get the money for the new Performing Arts Center?

I could see by the time that the interview was nearly over that math was not Scott’s strong suit. So for his benefit here we go.

6 police officers @ $117,000 less 10%, cities cost                              $ 631,000.00 year one

Surveillance Cameras, “Moose” the city already has purchased the main frame, they did that while you were in office, they also have the fibre in the downtown, Please, Oh please don’t go out and buy a new system. You already have one. This may be a novel idea, but you could put the system that you already own into the police station to allow them to see what’s going on, thereby eliminating the need for those six new cops.

Now the Performing Arts Center, the price you should know Moose is between $42 and $51 million dollars. Now I know that you think the economy in BC is Okay, but Premier Campbell has announced that he will freeze the assessments in BC at 2007 levels, and will also allow residents to delay paying their home taxes for a two year period which the province will guarantee. That somehow suggests to me that the Province doesn’t think things are going to be quite as good as you suggest.

Even if the city receives support from the province of $10 million (which would be a long stretch) and even with private contributions (and you will be hard pressed to get the woods industry to come to the plate when they are in many cases already on work share) you still need Oh let’s say $ 35 million at the very least.

$35 million at 3.2% interest..... Cost per year (interest only)               $1 million

Now you chided me Moose for suggesting that there would be operating costs as well. Let’s use the Performing Arts Center figures.

With 57% of the costs recovered by the facility, it still works out to $625,000 in 2012.

So where does that leave us Glen Scott?  Well we need about a 6% increase in taxes to cover off your promises to me the other morning and oh did I forget,  we also have to allow for increasing costs for another 2.5 % increase per year.

So where does that leave us?  Well if you get your way Glen Moose Scott, we will face an increase in our taxes of at least 13.5% in the next three years.

And I nearluy forgot to mention, you have also approved a new police station at a cost of $30 million. I suppose we could always try and get a new credit card, or one with a bigger credit limit.

I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.  

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