Police staffing top issue for many taxpayers
Taxpayers also react to soccer dome plan
Policing was on the mind of many who came out to talk budget with West Kelowna council and staff at an open house last week at the Westbank Library.
They were concerned after news that West Kelowna council had turned down a request from the RCMP for an additional eight officers at its Jan. 18 meeting, following staff’s recommendation.
Graham O’Leary who has lived in Glenrosa for 20 year said the increase of crime on the Westside is alarming.
O’Leary, who is heading up a block watch program in his neighbourhood, said he hears about crime in his neighbourhood daily.
According to Jim Zaffino, West Kelowna’s chief administrative officer, council turned down the request because it doesn’t know whether it’s paying its fair share in policing or whether it’s subsidizing the province.
The West Kelowna detachment is an integrated unit, with the city funding 26 officers and the province funding 20 positions.
Council is still waiting for the review it requested of policing services as it is concerned its taxpayers are paying for a portion of policing services in areas outside its boundaries.
“It would mean an additional tax increase of five per cent just for those officers,” said Zaffino.
Danielle Ball also came to the open house to support hiring additional RCMP officers and urged others to come as well.
Ball said she fought off a naked intruder in her West Kelowna home for 11 minutes while waiting for RCMP to arrive in August 2017.
Once they came, they told Ball they didn’t have the resources to follow up on the case.
“They literally said my issue was nickel and dime compared with what they have to deal with.” she said. “That’s gut-wrenching.”
Zaffino was directing concerned people to attend the Feb. 13 council meeting as the RCMP will be coming to talk about crime and council will be revisiting the policing issue.
The numbers for West Kelowna’s growth came in at 3.1 per cent, one of the highest in the municipality’s 10-year history.
“There are additional funds now available which council will be considering how to use at the Feb. 13 meeting,” said Zaffino.
Another popular topic at the open house was the soccer dome, which Zaffino called a sport multiplex not only for soccer, but also baseball, football and walking in the winter.
Many were happy to see the multiplex, which has $3.1 million budgeted in the city’s 2018 Capital Plan and is being funded by eliminating six recreation projects for now.
Clive Gilbert, who has lived in Lakeview Heights for 50 years, didn’t agree with the project.
“A dome is for a rich place,” he said. “You’ve got to build up to these things.”
West Kelowna is proposing a 2.58 per cent tax increase for 2018.