The town-hall budget meeting hosted by the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) in 100 Mile House ended up in a lengthy debate over the proposed community aquatic centre.
Before the pool project proponents and opponents in attendance squared off to put forward their opposing viewpoints, CRD chief financial officer Scott Reid gave a PowerPoint budget presentation.
The nine people who turned out learned more about the budgets and the various services the CRD provides and the tax requisitions that help pay for them.
In the District of 100 Mile House, 2014 tax requisitions for solid waste the CRD provides amount to $235,403 out of a CRD total of more than $3.8 million for solid waste throughout the Cariboo.
District tax requisitions for the South Cariboo Recreation function provided by the CRD amount to $213,570, out of a CRD total of about $6.3 million in taxation for recreation across the Cariboo.
The next largest requisition is for the library network, with $97,277 coming from 100 Mile House taxes (of $3.9 million total), followed by administration/governance, at $73,405 (of $5.5 million across the CRD).
Other taxation for 100 Mile House includes 9-1-1 emergency ($35,453), the South Cariboo Regional Airport ($25,552), funds for feasibility studies ($3,269) and smaller amounts to total $684,446 in local requisitions.
Other taxation is shared with areas outside of 100 Mile House, such as the $25,000 that goes toward South Cariboo Search and Rescue operations.
The municipality also provided taxes in the amount of $294,000 to the Cariboo Regional Hospital District.
A public debate subsequently ensued between some local residents on the proposed $5.1-million South Cariboo Aquatic Centre.
John and Sue Code spoke in favour of the proposal, for reasons including the health and recreation benefits of a pool, especially for seniors and children.
However, Larry Badke, and Larry and Ann Pinkney, argued the construction and maintenance costs to taxpayers were too high to be a reasonable project for the community, particularly under its current economic conditions.
The CRD is now in the process of polling a sampling of residents who live within the taxation boundaries. This is intended to gauge the public appetite for moving to a potential public hearing and referendum on the South Cariboo Aquatic Society’s pool complex.
This was the second of four budget meetings, and was followed by a similar town-hall for Area G on Sept. 11. The final town-hall takes place in Area L (Horse Lake/Lone Butte/Interlakes/Watch Lake/North Green Lake) on Sept. 30, 5-7 p.m, at the Lone Butte Community Hall, 5994 Little Ft. Highway 24.
