I would like to make a few comments regarding decisions made by council that greatly impact our property taxes and our quality of life.
The front-end loader purchase, for instance, was a great deal. Now if only there was some work for it, we would be in a win-win position.
Ditto for the dump truck – just to plow some snow once in awhile (seldom) does not justify a large expenditure like that.
The hiring of a, for lack of a better word, ‘consultant’ to determine what a resident of Sicamous is for $60,000 for six month’s ‘work’? I can tell you for free what a resident of Sicamous really was and is and you don’t have to pay me anything.
I, and my young family arrived in Sicamous in 1962. We found a town of CPR employees and sawmill workers. Mostly all residents came from foreign lands with a large number of Finlanders, British, Scotch and Italians, as well as nationalities from around the world. We all admired the laid-back lifestyle.
At some point in time the community decided to put in a domestic water system that initially served Finlayson Street only. Water rates were low and we had a surplus in the kitty. And we had no outstanding loans.
Thank heaven condos were not invented yet.
The fishing was good. Life was simple and life was peaceful and good and we were satisfied. Taxes were reasonable.
With the incorporation our lives have not improved one iota.
The water rates are atrocious. Taxes are a loathsome burden and need not have to be that way. The streets are in deplorable condition and the sewer plant is already operating above capacity.
Furthermore, the first phase of the sewer users overloaded the system while the last phase did not discharge anything into it. Now all residents are going to be forced to pay for an expansion of the sewer plant.
There is quite a bunch of crows in the area and sometimes I feel sorry for them because they don’t have a mayor and council to manage their affairs.
I and many other residents are unhappy and disgusted with the present state of affairs and bureaucracy and we sorely miss our earlier lifestyle.
The only conclusion is that the average Sicamous resident is totally discouraged and disheartened by the stupendous debts incurred on behalf of the taxpayers.
I have tried many times to borrow myself wealthy; however, it was a real struggle in the end to pay it all back.
It is no different for the district, and the burden of the debt is already having a detrimental impact on the financial well-being of the taxpayer.
Nick J. Verburg