Everyoneneedsto helppaythefreight

Thank you for your thoughtful letter Ron Johnson on resolving tax avoidance in satellite communities (Herald, June 2).

West Bench does make a meager contribution.

Your well-reasoned excellent solution is dependent on Penticton council; MLA Dan Ashton and MP Richard Cannings’ willingness to resolve the issue.

Frankly I am skeptical.

After a decade of speaking on this issue why have none of these elected people taken the necessary steps to protect Penticton residential taxpayers from the ravaging inroads on our hard earned tax dollars?

Ashton was a councillor and a mayor in Penticton; chair of the RDOS and lives in Trout Creek.

Richard Cannings has secured his ample pension and benefits and is not running again.

Motivation is weak.

Penticton Council has had many opportunities to resolve this issue. They have regular meetings with SILGA (Southern Interior Local Government Association), a regional organization that lends support to local proposals for the annual Union of BC Municipalities conference with the province.

Vernon should support this as they cooperate on many joint ventures with their regional district in the community interest — though the RDOS would work against this.

Council reaction is the best bet as they might see this as a good reelection tactic.

Thank you Jean Thomas of Okanagan Falls for your letter regarding the bike lane folly and the RDOS contribution via a grant the city of Penticton received. (Herald, May 31)

I assume the grant you were speaking of was the $1-million B.C. government grant for the bike lanes in 2021. You claim the satellites have already shared the expense of the bike lane folly.

I would remind you that Prince George, Smithers and Vancouver as well as approximately 5 million other residents in B.C. contributed to that grant.

Dividing 5 million people into $1 million clears up the misconception of a meaningful RDOS contribution. Grants are also available for regional issues.

Contrast the bike grant to the large annual gift Penticton taxpayers give the RDOS; supplying approximately 40% of the total of the Conservation Fund.

Many future projects will occur in the RDOS outside of city boundaries. This is known as community responsibility; apparently an alien concept to our satellite communities.

Penticton Council needs to act decisively enforcing right of refusal of services whether it is organized sports in our local parks or participation in activities in our recreational facilities.

We have too few options to let this slide.

Elvena Slump Penticton