Dear Editor;
I have the following concerns to bring to your attention:
1) I have been advised that the RDOS has been advised by the provincial government that the parcel tax for this project is NOT to be applied to trailers. The information provided by the committee for the Aquatic Centre, I am advised, took into account that trailers in the parks in Princeton were to be taxed and were included in the 3,549 parcels stated. This proposal advised that $283.60 would be added to our property taxes. However, as will now be obvious, this figure needs to be updated to take into account the lower number of parcels available to levy the tax on.
Are we going to be advised of the “latest” tax increase to reflect this?
2) It does not seem possible for members of the public to directly contact the committee for information and to be able to ask questions. I have tried asking questions on their Facebook page, but received nothing except some inappropriate comments directed at me in the vein of “how dare you ask questions of us supporters.” I complained that the comments posted on a public forum were inappropriate to the topic, and I received no reply from the Facebook group administrators. Consequently, I withdrew my membership of that group.
i see on the site, www.princetonaquaticcentre.com that there are other outstanding questions with no answers.
Why cannot taxpayers be afforded the possibility of an avenue to ask questions of the committee? What are they hiding? If nothing give out some answers, settle people’s minds before they are asked to commit their tax dollars.
3) With interest rates on the verge of increasing and hence the loan rates for this project, consideration needs to be taken of the effect of these rate increases. I have not seen anything published, so far, by the committee.
It looks as if long term scenario planning is not in their brief, however I would like to know the best and worst cases possible for say five years from now with regard to taxes.
Princeton could become a very highly taxed town indeed, and if this is the case I would like to sell and go and rent somewhere in where all the facilities are available, and have been costed in a correct and professional manner.
Michael Dennington
Princeton, B.C.
Editor’s Note
The latest facts and figures will be listed completely in the Aquatic Centre information booklet which is being updated this week and can be picked up by early next week at the town office. The trailers in the trailer parks were incorrectly listed as assuming a portion of the parcel tax debt. The parcel tax figures have been rectified to show the new numbers based on the worst case scenario formula mandated by the provincial government.
No members of the Aquatic Centre Committee were responsible for derogatory comments on Facebook.
Many answers asked by the public are under evaluation and will be clarified in the upcoming information booklet.
Aquatic Centre Committee Member and Spotlight editor
Dierra Maynard