MP pushes stimulus package

Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: February 20, 2009 4:00 PM

Okanagan-Shuswap MP Colin Mayes wants to ensure local communities get a cut of the federal dollars trying to jumpstart the economy. Mayes has been meeting with municipalities, including Vernon and Enderby Friday, to determine how the federal government can assist with infrastructure projects. “I’m meeting with all of the communities and presenting them with the challenges about the economy and the things the government is trying to do in terms of rolling dollars out,” he said. “We want to know what the projects are so we can determine if there are (funding) programs we can access.” Even with the provincial and federal governments at the table, Mayes admits that it could be a struggle for communities to come up with their financial share. “Municipalities could be strapped for dollars to come up with their one-third. We don’t want to force municipalities to raise taxes,” he said.

Applications are already in for some projects, and Mayes believes about $100 million has already been approved for road works in the riding, including Highway 97A in Spallumcheen. “We are moving ahead with the ones in the system now and for the next wave (of funding), we want to be ready,” he said. Vernon has applied for money for a number of projects, which are already part of the city’s 2009 budget. “If they assist us, that will free us up to take it off the tax roll or add some new projects,” said Mayor Wayne Lippert, of the need to stretch taxpayers’ dollars as far as possible. He also says that there are benefits to infrastructure construction now because it will create jobs. “We want to keep the economy growing.” However, Lippert is concerned some infrastructure initiatives will be ignored because of government bureaucracy. “We’ve got issues with Highway 6, where it joins Highway 97,” he said. “It’s not a big enough project for the federal and provincial governments to co-operate on but it’s too big for the province to do just with the city. They have to look at what the project will do for the community and not just the dollars going out.”