Editor:
Re: Time to talk amalgamation letters, Aug 5
While White Rock does have a very limited tax base, their only hope of generating additional revenue is to build higher, increase individual property tax rates or increase parking revenues. All of which no one wants.
You’re now proposing we further waste a lot of money to study, debate, redraw maps, etc., and pull revenues away from Surrey so that you can redirect them to support White Rock and build a new city hall. Really?
Some may remember a number of years ago, when all the boroughs surrounding Toronto were individually operated, at huge expense to the tax payers, just to duplicate common services. It makes no sense for White Rock to double its jurisdictional reach as the battles and growth needed would be a mess.
On the other hand, it would be a small blip in administration, and make more sense, for Surrey to absorb White Rock. The infrastructure is already in place and the expense savings on duplicate salaries, government offices, etc., would be better spent on other services.
We lived in White Rock for many years before moving a few blocks into South Surrey, but I never understood why it made sense for anyone to duplicate all management, staff and facilities costs needed to maintain a small independent community. I have no interest in paying additional fees to support a small, niche government just so I can have a White Rock address. No thanks, I’m good.
To those devoted White Rock residents who say, “forget it, I don’t want to be a part of Surrey,” I say, you’re already part of Surrey. You may sleep in White Rock but you likely work or conduct most of your affairs in Surrey (or elsewhere), so suck it up and keep paying those higher property taxes and user fees just to support that lacking service.
Joe Klampfer, Surrey
