Time for wholesale change on CVRD board
What a glorious time. Finally, after years of being ignored, the taxpayer/voter finally has a chance to change the directors and the current direction of the CVRD.
It’s time to make major changes and install new directors in every regional district. There are numerous reasons why this is required; first and foremost, most of these directors have held these positions far too long. Many political systems have limitations on how many times the same person can run for a particular seat. It’s obvious that with being elected several times there is an arrogance that develops within the person. That arrogance shows itself in ways where that person believes that they are always right, that listening to constituents is a waste of time and primarily that they have no respect for the taxpayer.
One only has to look how our property taxes have increased over the past few years to see this arrogance. The current CVRD directors have an addiction to spending. It is apparent in that they are quite comfortable in duplicating provincial services at a cost to the local taxpayers. The CVRD has hired tourism staff when the provincial government uses our tax dollars to promote provincial tourism. Each time there is an accident on the Malahat we hear a CVRD highways representative criticize the Malahat. Why on earth does the CVRD have highways and tourism staff when the both of those functions are a provincial responsibility?
Years ago the regional industrial tax was removed from industry and placed on the homeowner “as a trial” to try and entice new industry to relocate to the Valley. That trial ended years ago and it did not yield any positive results. Hopefully, the new directors will understand the unfairness of this tax being placed on the homeowner and remove it as soon as they take office. Certainly they can put it back on industry where it belongs.
The current CVRD directors now want us, the taxpayer, to take on additional provincial responsibilities dealing with water and social housing. When will this all end? Possibly when the homeowner can no longer afford their property taxes. It’s interesting that the new candidate signs uses terms like common sense, responsibility and honesty whereas the signs for the existing directors have nothing more than their names; that in itself speaks volumes.
It is time for the CVRD to reduce both its spending and its growth. Every year we are told by CVRD personnel that the primary costs for budget increases in the 82 services is related to labour. It is time to review how those services costs will be reduced. A fresh look will go far in finding ways to lighten the load on the taxpayer.
It’s time for new faces and a new direction. It is time for the CVRD directors to respect the taxpayer, use common sense, accept responsibility, demonstrate honesty and most important of all to reduce the size of local government.
I’m willing to do my part, are you?
G. Whynacht
Youbou
