Citizens shouldn’t have to pay twice for city facilities

Public funding for improvements to city-owned facilities requires an overhaul.

I have lived in Lethbridge prior to the initial construction of the Enmax Centre, Henderson Lake Pool and the Yates Centre. I realize that every building gets old and requires renovation. Buildings are like people. One exception to the rule is that people age very rapidly when they are expected to pay for something twice.

Through my property taxes I have assisted in paying for the initial construction costs of the Enmax Centre, Henderson Pool and the Yates, and the city has now piled the renovation improvement costs on top of the never-ending pile. This revolving circumstance should be reformed.

One way to resolve this situation is through initiating an impact fee. This fee could be introduced into a fund dedicated to improvements only, and be a one-time fee. Recognizing that younger people and new residents are going to be the principal users of our established facilities, and older users are going to be the limited users, I feel the most logical way to impose this fee would be to charge buyers of existing homes. They have paid nothing for the existing facilities and will be the most frequent users.

There are approximately 1,700 existing home sales each year in Lethbridge, and imposing a $5,000 fee when an existing home changes title would produce $8,500,000 per year. This would reduce our property tax, lower the city’s interest payments, and the fund would take care of all future improvement costs, which should include solar installation to eliminate electrical operational costs, to all facilities. It would also prolong the aging process.

Bob Wilson

Lethbridge