I am writing to advise you that as a Vernon taxpayer, I will be voting a resounding no on the Nov. 28 referendum concerning the regional district’s plans to proceed with multi-million-dollar debt for the construction of another ice arena.
Around a decade ago, the regional district took on huge debt to fund Kal Tire Place.
At that time, taxpayers were under the impression that this facility was to replace Civic Arena, which was already well beyond its useful life.
Well, Civic Arena is still with us and the conventional wisdom now seems to be that Vernonites cannot live without two hockey rinks.
I realize full well that hockey is Canada’s national sport and no Vernonite was more tickled than I with Canada’s hockey performance at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
But come on people, let’s be realistic about proposed deficit spending.
Vernon has a list of infrastructure wants and needs as long as my old leg — a Highway 97 route around the downtown core, replacement of major portions of our ancient sewer system, costly upgrades to our water system, a new museum and art gallery, replacement of the city’s recreation complex, a new home for our RCMP force and the list goes on and on.
My suggestion would be to put Civic Arena to the torch and market the land for use as an affordable, high-density housing project. Proceeds from the sale of the arena land could be placed in city reserves or utilized to reduce our existing debt load.
Not every minor hockey enthusiast is going to make it to the NHL and I do not feel compelled to spend my tax dollars on such a long-odds bet. The Okanagan still has a host of small frozen ponds where a young hockey wanna-be can learn to skate.
If he’s got the skill and the will, he could still wind up at Kal Tire Place in a Vipers uniform before an NHL scout.
I’d also really like to peruse the arithmetic behind the recently published claim that the new arena proposal would cost the taxpayer only about $24 per year for 20 years. This amounts to only about two per cent of my own 2015 property taxes, yet our esteemed city fathers are already suggesting a five per cent tax hike for 2016.
Ouch.
W.J.J. Fisher
