Right on Ben. This was a dismal failure last time around, and is setting up to be one again. Why not be clear and clean in the process... not to mention fair?

Any time they have to use the reverse petition they are saying their views are more important than an honest democratic vote. People that support civic rights should oppose these plans as an undemocratic tax grab.

I fail to see how any executive director for the downtown business improvement area is worth more compensation than the mayor of the entire city. These people living off of tax payer dollars aren't living in the real world.

IMO nobody working for the city should be paid more than the mayor without a full council vote for each individual that thinks it justified.

The mayor we have is a robot. Watch him on TV while they are in session. What an imbarrrrrrasssssment!

I don't believe that the $108,000 figure is all destined for the the new executive director position; I think the money is earmarked for "wages and benefits" for positions that include the new director. I imagine Mr. Gable will want an executive assistant to help him out.

Anyhow, notwithstanding that, this whole thing stinks. Bad. You know somethings afoot when they keep trying and trying and trying until they get what they want.

Reverse petitions work well if a certain percentage is required to pass but voter apathy stands in the way.
The DBIA and others count on this method as a quick fix to their agenda.

Undemocratic tax grab? Taxation has absolutely nothing to do with democracy. When was the last time we voted on a tax?

Apathy is what allows little things (sarcasm) such as sneaky reverse petitions and subtle clauses within legislation, to continually erode our civic rights and freedoms.

Corruption on all levels of government. Maybe it is time that we do not need government. FIRE THEM ALL and start over is my MOTTO! Just think all the money that the rich have invested into our government to get what they want. Would it not be a kick in their pocket books if WE voted for the Green party? Yes, I know that they have no experience...bla bla bla. Can they do any worse than the NDP or the LIBERALS have with all their experience? Time for change and time for us to take back our government. With all the hidden tax we are close to 55% or more of our money going towards fees, taxes and feeding the long list of pigs at the trough in government. When are we going to wake up, speak up and tell our government NO?????

Green party... good one IMO.

Council is not interested in equity. Plain and simple!!

It was just a suggestion....an example to my point.

BC Social Credit

This is just another joke pulled on taxpayers in this "gritty little mill town". Betcha all this will be forgotten next time we have an election. I'll remind ya.

It is the business owners that will have to pay, and we have no vote. It is for property owners to complain, I don't own my building. The way leases are written, Triple Net will just go up when this goes through.

They don't even have to rely on apathy because the people who pay for this levy have no vote. Nice good thing I voted in the last Civic election, thanks Council.

The reverse onus petition was instituted so that Municipalities who wanted to borrow money wouldnt have to go to a referendum unless 10% of the registered voters signed a petition.

A number of years ago the requirement for the petition was 5%. Some Citizens of Prince George were able to get 5% of the registered voters to sign a petition on the Terasen Gas proposal, and forced it to a referendum. (Where it failed) It was shortly after that that the requirement went up to 10%. The increase was voted on and passed by non other than the BC Municipalities. Conflict of interest????

The reverse onus now requires a minimum of 5000 signatures of registered voters in Prince George to force any borrowing by the City to go to referendum.

As pointed out in previous posts the main problem with the reverse onus petition legislation is voter apathy. Each and every petition would require a dedicatd Citizen, and a group of volunteers to go door to door, etc; to get the signatures.

The City on the other hand only has to sit on its collective ass, arrange to publish some news artcles supporting their projects, get all the local organizations, plus IPG, etc on board and wait for the petition to fail. They then borrow the money and build the project, and to hell with the taxpayers.

In other words the system is geared to work for City Hall against the taxpayers, and I might add, it works pretty well.

So unless all these apathetic voters in Prince George get off thier assess, we can expect to see the City borrow money, for the Police Station, Performing Arts Centre, Co-Generation Plant, 2015 Olympics etc; etc;. Somewhere in the area of $150 Million in the next 5/10 years for these projects alone.

The only people who can stop this is Joe Six Pack, and he is sitting on his fat ass, eating a hamburger, drinking a beer, burping, belching, and watching TV. The chances of him making any effort what so ever to get involved in what is going on around him is practically nil.

So the score as usual is Joe Sixpack (0) City (1)

Did 5000 people even vote in the last municipal election?

I agree Palopu -- pathetic.