Residents question city’s spending

Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: March 04, 2010 6:00 PM

The City of Vernon’s spending habits are coming under scrutiny. Twelve people attended an input session on the proposed 2010 budget Tuesday at the Schubert Centre, and many of them accused the city of taking taxpayers’ dollars for granted. “Get your taxes down, get your budget down,” said Corky McMechan. The proposed budget calls for a 1.9 per cent residential tax increase which amounts to an additional $19.88 for a home assessed at $418,676. McMechan questioned why the city workforce climbed 11.5 per cent in 2009 while a recession was underway. “Please go back and be a lot harder on what is necessary,” he said.

Resident Rose Pollock took aim at a recent decision to sell a 20,000-square-foot lot valued at $850,000 to Okanagan Regional Library for $10. “Nobody asked us if you can give our land to the library,” she said of the public. Another issue raised was the purchase of the former Vernon Medical Clinic on 31st Avenue for $1.4 million. About $507,000 will be spent to demolish the building, and $199,500 is earmarked for a detailed design and the first phase of creating a park. “That’s a lot of money for a little bit of greenspace,” said Pollock. Pollock also slammed representatives from the city-owned O’Keefe Ranch continually looking for operating funds. “It’s the same whining year after year. Shut it down or be self-sufficient,” she said.

Barry Beardsell, a former councillor, launched a lengthy attack on the budget process. “You have been very harsh on low-income earners and seniors on fixed incomes,” he said, adding that other jurisdictions are also raising taxes. Beardsell slammed the hiring of two extra fire dispatchers, construction of bicycle lanes and increased wages for administration. He also demanded councillors scrap the $137 they receive for attending committee meetings. “Show the public you have concern and empathy for the position they are in,” he said.

Richard Hamilton, who is a landlord, told council that the tax ratio for businesses is unfair. “Why should a business pay three times more taxes for the same assessed value?” he said. “I can’t think of one extra service a commercial business gets that a resident doesn’t get.”The 2010 budget must still be adopted by Vernon council.