To the Editor,
Re: Gabriola gives support to increased taxes to keep transit running, Feb. 18.
The statement that nearly 70 per cent of Gabriolans have voted in favour of increased taxation to pay for continuation of a community bus system on the island is misleading. When one considers that the voter turnout was 37.8 per cent, it means that only 25.3 per cent of possible voters said yes to the tax increase.
The untold part of the story is twofold. Anyone owning property in Area B and paying taxes to the RDN, but living outside of B.C., had no voice at all in this referendum. Secondly, a portion of the voters in Area B are folks living on Mudge, DeCourcy and several small islands, who have been deemed to benefit from a bus service that only runs on Gabriola Island. No direct consultation was done to arrive at this conclusion.
It should also be clarified that the referendum amount was for a maximum of $250,000. Despite the fact that director Howard Houle is reported to say that the transit system will receive $136,000 a year, it’s not unreasonable to think that this number will increase.
The hard work done by the volunteers on Gabriola, to get their bus service established, should be applauded. Asking a population of taxpayers to help pay for the service, based only on assumptions and flawed electoral procedures, is unfair.
Darcy AmblerMudge Island and Nanaimo
