Betty Selin-Vernon 105.7 SUNFM
Close to 100 people packed into Vernon council chambers Monday night for a final chance to speak on the 2009 budget. More than a dozen people questioned the city's budget with topics ranging from the general increase in taxes, business taxes and fire protection in Okanagan Landing and additional staff. Landing resident, Pat Lett says the Landing is a cash cow for the city... "The Okanagan Landing residents pay 48.1% of all general taxation. We only have nine thousand residents out of 36-thousand." He says the city should be improving streets and sidewalks instead of spending more than six-hundred thousand dollars on two fire fighters for the Landing. Former Councillor Barry Beardsell says the budget is a sham and when you add the general increase with the sewer increase it's a lot more than the 1.99 per cent the city is promoting... "the increase over last year is 11.3% Put that in perspective with what is happening in this economy and you say what is going on with this council and this administration?" Beardsell says councillors need to go back, make cuts and get out of some functions. He even suggested dropping the keys to the O'keefe Ranch in the lap of the MLA, saying the province wouldn't shut down the heritage tourist facility.
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