This e-mail was received in response to the questions I posted on my blog at : January 20 Address all Civic Complex questions to City Hall
While I do not agree with many of the conclusions that the City has reached I appreciate the quick response. Some of the answers are very revealing and I leave it up to the readers to use this information as they see fit to decide how to vote. Feel free to make comments and they will be published. (Please do not go into personal attacks etc. as I don't need the aggravation of censoring them. )
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Dear Don Quixote:
1. The content and production of the City's 2-page Referendum information piece and brochure were authorized by a senior administration committee and ultimately, the CAO of the City of Vernon.
2. The mailing of the brochure with the utility bills was also authorized by the CAO. This mailing saved the Vernon taxpayer several thousand dollars in postage charges for a separate mailing. In preparing the Referendum information, City Hall staff utilized the cost projections provided by the architects. Tax information was then calculated by the CFO's office of the City of Vernon, and represents current assessed housing values between $200,000 and 400,000 in the Vernon area. We are making the assumption that most people are capable of using that table (and the millrate that was provided) to calculate an annual tax charge based on the value of their home.
The insert and brochure provided project and referendum information only and, other than the "Say Yes" box on the cover of the brochure, no other attempt has been made by the Media Liaison or City staff appearing at the Open Houses to influence the outcome of anyone's vote. When asked questions, we have done our best to provide direct answers. It is not the perogative of City Hall staff to engage in "politics", only to provide answers to the public's questions. This is a Referendum, not a municipal election. I would, though, like to make mention of the fact that it is not "against the law" for municipalities in B.C. to advance a "yes" vote in local referendums and there are a number of precedents in the records.
3. As indicated earlier, all information goes out under the authorization of the CAO of the City of Vernon, as with all information that leaves City Hall in its various forms. The " maximum annual tax" was calculated after presentation of the project on a business case scenario for capital financing over 25 years. We could present other scenarios, ad nauseum, and the possibilities are endless. They are also unlikely to assist anyone further in deciding their Referendum vote.
4. Without knowing precisely what you mean by "overruns", the capital cost of the building is $32,435,708. The Library is committed, by contractual agreement, to financing $9 million of that cost , and the City , the remaining $23.4 million. totalling $32.4 million. Therefore, the City portion of $23.4 million is well within the $30 million borrowing limit.
As for the City of Vernon's record in cost overruns, there have been none in recent history - - not with the Water Reclamation Centre, the Performing Arts Centre or the Multiplex. There is no reason to suppose that the Civic Complex would be any different. $32,435,000 is what bidding contractors have to work with. Although final details in the design specifications still have to be defined, the architects and contractor will obviously work within that number.
5. There is daily discussion at City Hall regarding the Referendum Information Campaign. As the advance voting has already taken place, it would not be reasonable or responsible to confuse the public with ever-changing figures. We believe that there is enough information about the project and its cost already submitted to public, in order for them to make an informed decision. It is unlikely that those asking for more and more figures will change their minds about either the project or City Hall's ability to give them financial information. We believe that the numbers we have provided in our advertising, at our Open Houses and in copious articles in the media have represented actual project costs and realistic tax implications for Vernon home owners. We feel sure that most homeowners are able to calculate the approximate tax, based on the numbers we have provided.
6. For the time being, City Council has chosen to begin the borrowing process over a 25 year period. As each succeeding Council reviews and considers the financing, they may or may not choose to change that borrowing period. The cost of producing more and more ads for this Referendum becomes expensive, particularly when produced to amuse a handful of folks who love to crunch numbers. More charts and tables will be based on "hypotheticals", at best. We cannot, at this time, speak for future Councils, nor can your number crunchers.
In closing, let me confirm that the content of the answers given above has been authorized by the CAO of the City of Vernon!
Regards,
Liz Williams
Media Liaison/Grants
Finance Department
City of Vernon
3400-30th Street
Vernon, BC V1T 5E6
(250) 550-3539
1 comment:
It is increasingly apparent that the City will go to absolute lengths to "spin-doctor" any issue. It is also increasingly apparent that the level of trust of the public in City officials has ebbed to an all-time low. What should be apparent to the City CAO is that for every further attempt to correct that situation by "spinning" new realities to promote a narrow range of self-interest will be met at every turn by a critical public that develops deeper and deeper trust issues in everything coming out of City Hall administration. What doesn't seem to be apparent to the politicians who will need to answer to the public in November is that more spin-doctoring by those they pay to do the job of advising them in all City business may ultimately end up in them losing their jobs. Seems you can fool some of the people (Council) most of the time.
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