Council bleeds the taxpayers

Dear Editor: I read with interest City of Kelowna employee Tom Wilson’s Oct. 22 letter attempting to marginalize the views and facts presented in my Oct. 17 letter to The Courier (Council Hammers Taxpayers).

Wilson missed the point of my letter which was the city’s 10-year, $478 million infrastructure deficit could have been significantly reduced had council not approved a number of major projects that resulted in $126 million in taxpayer giveaways in the 22 months prior to the election.

Wilson says, Council has an “innovative” approach to using taxpayer money to fund infrastructure projects. Well there is nothing “innovative” about bleeding taxpayers. Real “innovation” comes from not giving the money away in the first place and from charging developers and tourists their full share of the cost to provide and maintain city services.

The SEKID water system takeover project needs $56 million from federal and provincial taxpayers and $30 million from Kelowna taxpayers and water utility users. But, it’s all taxpayer money and developers and tourists pay nothing — which was my point.

Wilson paints the South Perimeter Road project as being revenue neutral when it is not. SPR will cost taxpayers much more than the city’s estimated $10.7 million. That is the amount the city must pay Wally Leong to build his 2.3 km road nine years ahead of schedule so he can speed up the sale of his lots in his Ponds Subdivision. This “innovative” financing is revenue neutral for Leong, but not for taxpayers.

The City must fund SPR with transfers from its Lakeshore Road completion account, which will delay Lakeshore upgrades until Leong eventually tops up the Lakeshore account with DCC funds generated by his Ponds project a decade or more from now. This delay will frustrate Lakeshore commuters and impact taxpayers for decades.

Leong’s SPR project also triggers additional city land purchases and road and bridge upgrades between West Stewart and Benvoulin roads to enhance public safety and traffic flow. These additions raise SPR costs to an estimated $27.5 million.

Despite Wilson’s comments, Council had the option to significantly reduce its 10year, $478 million infrastructure deficit by refusing to giveaway $126 million of taxpayer money to major projects during the past 22 months.

Unfortunately, Council chose to hammer taxpayers and give the money away. Richard Drinnan, M.Sc.

Kelowna