Four directors gave it the thumbs down, but the no votes were not enough to prevent the Comox Valley Regional District board from adopting a $56.5 million budget, which is down from last year. The naysayers were Courtenay directors Greg Phelps, Murray Presley and Larry Jangula, and Cumberland representative Leslie Baird.Presley, drawing comparisons to 2007 when the Comox Valley and Campbell River fell under the same jurisdiction, feels the board does not have a handle on costs. He notes water and sewer expenses have both jumped from $1.8 million to upwards of $3 million in the past four years. “These are huge increases,” Presley said. “I don’t know how we can live with that and pass it on to taxpayers.”Instead of ‘wasting’ a year on the Regional Growth Strategy, Presley feels the board should have taken a closer look at expenses. He suggests the CVRD needs to consider cutting services.   Jangula shares Presley’s concerns and expects a pushback from the public. “These numbers are most alarming,” Jangula said. Comox director Paul Ives, though mindful of the concerns, said the board has been prudent over the past four years in terms of service provisions. He points out the district is undergoing a review of essential services, namely water and sewer. An option exists for municipalities and electoral areas to opt out and initiate a service review process, Ives added. “I’m not sure what director Presley wants us to do,” Ives said. “It’s the cost of doing business.” Chief administrative officer Debra Oakman noted the difficulty of determining percentages when looking at the district’s history and accounting for expenditures such as this year’s park acquisition levy. “The recommended park levy of just under $8 per $100,000 of assessed property value, over the next five years, aims to achieve a balance between maintaining and sustaining the park system and associated infrastructure, and securing land in strategic locations for the roughly two-thirds of our population that use parks for cycling, jogging, dog walking and bird watching,” Oakman said in a news release. The 2011 budget includes a new contract with the Comox Valley Economic Development Society worth $896,500. As well, the Comox Valley Art Gallery debt will be retired. The gallery has cut back on expenses and staffing hours to deal with funding shortfalls. Other key initiatives include reinstated funds for victim services, capital projects for solid waste services, sports centre renovation, exhibition ground improvements, and implementation of the regional growth and sustainability strategies. These are in addition to regular services such as land use planning, fire protection, building inspection, drinking water treatment and supply, and operation of landfills in the Valley and Campbell River. The 2011 strategic priorities can soon be found at www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/budgetbinder/strategic.pdf.reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com

Comox Valley Record