Annexation Bid Splits Vernon Politicians

I believe that majority of council was acting in accordance with provincial policy. The applications previously supported by Council would result in the physical isolation of the four opposing properties from the rest of electoral area B. This type of isolation resulting from annexations is not permitted under provincial regulations. Therefore Council's choice was a difficult one. Ether support the entire application with four properties opposed or not support the majority of six properties in the application. Some of the seeds of this kind of conflict are sown in the inability of the city to provide sewer to individual properties outside its boundaries. I believe these piecemeal annexations are not the solution. Something more comprehensive needs to be done to address the ongoing concerns around boundaries, governance and the delivery of services particularly in electoral areas B and C which are the City of Vernon's closest unincorporated neighbours.

The regional district recently received the final report on a study of the challenges faced by electoral areas from these piecemeal losses to their tax base. Their concern is understandable and the report was clear but did not question the assumption particularly in the case of electoral areas B and C as to whether the current mode of delivery of services is the best one. Without putting all governance options on the table the report was reduced formulaic acrobatics in order to justify the status quo with regards to areas B and C. The report is lengthy and some places technical but for anyone interested in the future challenges the residents of B and C will face it is worth the effort to read.....
http://www.rdno.ca/docs/RDNO_Annexation_Study_Phase_II_Final_Report_-_February_2014.p

So Mr Klaus Tribes wants to be Mayor of Vernon!

Except for Rob Ford I have not heard of a Mayoral candidate starting an election campaign so early. Mr. Klaus Tribes is an experienced politician and well known to long-time residents of Vernon: therefore I am surprised that his candidacy has not drawn more comment. It is early on, but I thought there would be lots of response in the online comment feature of the Vernon Morning Star. Maybe no one feels strongly enough to venture an opinion? This is shame when one considers the ease of the online comment process. For or against let’s hope that things will pick up as more candidates enter the field.

One of the great things about our democratic tradition is the freedom to express our opinions. Hope to see more online. Cheers Shawn a Vernon Taxpayer Blog

Political Ground Shaking in the Sunny North Okanagan

Just when one could be forgiven for thinking the political landscape here in the sunny north Okanagan was stable: the players come through with news worthy of the front page of the Morning Star.

A few days ago we learned of the departure of Trafford Hall from RDNO. Whenever there is a change of the man at the top one can expect changes in how things are done. I think that the choice of a new CAO at the regional district should be left to the new crop of elected officials after the fall election: this in keeping with the tradition of local governments of doing nothing major in the months before an election. Wait a minute! The sudden departure of your CAO is pretty major.

On the same page that we learned of the “shake up at the RDNO” we discovered Vernon City Council’s intention to stream line the COV’s committee system. I agree with the Editorial voice of the Morning Star that efficiencies should be pursued but share the same worry as to the reduction in the potential of participatory democracy in Vernon Governance. Many heads are better than one. As to the argument it will save tax dollars that will remain to be seen as some of the committees that are to be axed have met so infrequently of late. Was that due to neglect? I don’t know.

Finally in another front page story we learned that our MP Colin Mayes has decided not to seek re-election. Mr. Mayes deserves our praise for serving us well and long. The timing of his announcement will likely have significance for those among us with Federal Government ambitions. Historically local government has proved an effective nursery for growing candidates for higher levels of government. So in the next little while we can expect a flurry of Conservative Party Membership renewals as the party faithful begin support their pick for the next federal election. The timing of the Federal election could even effect whether federally aspiring politicians will seek local re-election in the fall municipal elections.

The local political landscape could yet prove even more unstable here in the Sunny Okanagan.

Cheers

Shawn Lee

A Vernon Taxpayer

Vernon May Lose Some Sidewalks

All over North America jurisdictions are facing what has been termed as Structural Deficits. Simply put, the revenue generated by fees and taxation is insufficient to maintain and replace/upgrade the infrastructure built during the unrelenting growth of the past several decades. The concept of Infrastructure deficit is more easily understood in everyday terms.

Suppose that you bought a home 25 years ago. It came with a tile roof that you were assured would last one hundred years. The home was seventy five years old when you moved in. The years pass and the roof did prove reliable. Two years ago during the rainstorm to your dismay you realize your roof is leaking and you need to replace it. The prudent and wise individual would have put a little aside each year for the inevitable expense of a new roof. If you of are like most of us there would be have nothing put aside and so you would be at the mercy of whatever financial arrangements that can be negotiated. In spite of your lack of foresight you still feel a little hard done by. You call the roofer and you are in for a shock at this size of your personal deficit.

The estimate for replacing your old roof with a new tile roof is over$ 70,000.00. Thoughts of having to take out new mortgage come to mind. Your hand is shaking as your hold the estimate. Surely there must be some other way? Your tradesman senses your dismay and offers you an alternative that in his judgement will be more palatable. Your roof could be replaced with an asphalt shingle roof at $7000. You almost hug the man.  You feel delivered and you agree to the asphalt roof. Your new roof will protect your home from the weather but does not have the same durability as the old tile roof and will need to be replaced more often. Still you are compelled to feel comfortable with your decision mainly because of your financial constraints. Council is facing a problem similar you face with the new roof.

Our elected officials see a vast number of physical infrastructures (streets, sidewalks, streetlights, buildings etc.) that will need ongoing maintenance and eventually outright replacement. Fortunately the bill does not come all at once like your fictional roof. Nevertheless with some estimates placing the deficit at over $120,000,000 one can understand the need for concern. Vernon certainly needs to work under some financial constraints. Council’s approach as I understand it aims to reduce the deficit in two ways.

Firstly to allow for a regular annual tax increase allotted only to infrastructure. The increases will eventually allow $6,000,000 annually put towards the deficit thus in effect paying it down.  Were this policy to continue the City would approach adequate funding for infrastructure but not quite. This, if I understand correctly leads to the second approach.

Remember the story about the roof. Council has asked staff to come up with less expensive alternatives that could serve well the needs of the citizens of Vernon. Less costly alternatives in replacement and maintenance infrastructure also reduce the deficit. So we see that council is working both on the funding side of maintaining our city as well as the demand side of the equation.

I think that is wise and prudent approach that council is taking with a difficult problem but it not without consequence. Let us return to your fictional new roof. It is a roof but it is not a tile roof. If the original tile roof was one the features you loved about your home of 25 years the change to asphalt shingles will be sad. Your home may lose some charm. As for Vernon we may lose some of our sidewalks.  

Cheers! Shawn Lee a Vernon Taxpayer

Get a Second Opinion on the Water Plan

Why are our elected officials a t the GVAC willing to spend $ 100,000 of taxpayer’s money on a study of what do about the aging and by all accounts failing Civic Arena and not willing to commit to getting a second opinion on the master water plan. For the new ice sheet 5 million dollars is one of the numbers that have tossed about. It is wise to invest in knowing the costs and implications of the various alternatives that are available when considering the long term viability of the various options.

Yet this wisdom and prudence doesn't seem to apply when it comes to the master water plan for Greater Vernon. Recent reporting puts the total cost at $180,000,000. Surely it would be reasonable to get a second opinion? The magnitude of the investment numbs the mind. Director Kiss, as I understand it, wanted a peer review of the plan by a qualified third party. Such a review would not come cheaply, no doubt, but when one considers that our children’s children will still be paying for the infrastructure decades from now; why not get a second opinion?

In the fall elections among other things we will face referendum questions on a new ice sheet. Ironically it looks like we will be better informed on a new ice sheet and the alternatives than we will be for the $70,000,000 borrowing referendum question for the master water plan.

The folks at GVAC deserve credit for seeking relief from the filtration requirement at Duteau Creek imposed by IHA ($26,000,000). Let us wish them well that will bring it down to $154,000,000. Whew!

Cheers!

Shawn Lee a Vernon Taxpayer Blogger

Did the Directors Deserve Praise?

It is a rare thing for politicians to draw praise; they usually draw fire, so the recent banner in the letters to the editor praising the rural Directors of Electoral Areas B and C certainly deserves attention. Directors Fleming and Macnabb received accolades for their decision not to look at the possible benefits of one municipal government for Greater Vernon. The writer, Mr. Chris Edwards refers to study completed in 2008 that supports the areas director’s action to ignore this issue. Mr. Edwards reported that incorporation was the preferred option. The possibility of another mayor and 6 councilors added to an already crowded political landscape sent shivers down my spine and was my motivation to obtain a copy of the “study”: which in fact was a mail out survey. From my experience, things are always more complicated than they first seem especially when it comes to politics.

The survey was sent out by the RDNO to over 5000 households within the boundaries of electoral areas (B,C,D,E,F). The recipients were asked to respond by return mail to each of following two questions regarding governance.  

1.     Do you want to change the way your Electoral area is governed, either by joining an existing Municipality or becoming a separate Municipality. Yes or No.

2.     If changes happens, which option would you prefer? Join an existing an existing Municipality or create a new Municipality?

Of the 5709 surveys that were delivered the RDNO received 1103 replies; nineteen per cent. To the first question 20% responded Yes and 80% responded NO. I will leave it to others to debate the ambiguous and dilemma producing nature of the initial survey question. To my mind the structure of the first question was likely to produce a negative response. Proceeding to the results of the second question we discover that if change in governance were to be somehow imposed, the respondents were split 49% against joining an existing Municipality and 51% for creating a new Municipality.

Despite the almost even results to the second question we do see the source of data that inspired Mr. Edwards’ comment about the incorporation of Electoral Areas. So where does this all lead?

Well for those who agree with Mr. Edwards it justifies the end of any consideration of governance changes here in the sunny north Okanagan particularly when it comes to Electoral areas. Well perhaps not. Remember that we know from experience that things often more complicated than they appear.

The RDNO fortunately broke the results the down into logical groupings of EAs to illustrate some interesting variances. The variant results of most interest to residents of Greater Vernon are found in the EA grouping of B and C (Swan Lake and BX). To question one 75% were not favor of any change in governance. Results similar to the whole survey .To question two however, which assumes a governance change: 56% of who answered this question (70% of respondents) preferred the option of joining an existing Municipality over incorporating. The total survey results had initially masked the surprising preference to amalgamate by a small but clear majority of respondents in BX-Swan Lake to the second question in the 2008 RDNO survey. Interesting…

This finding is uncomfortable for those who point to this RDNO survey and claim there is no support or interest for looking at governance in the EAs. Certainly in areas B and C this may not be the case. Perhaps some of those 56% signed a more recent survey on governance. That would make things really complicated! (Read the whole report on the survey. Decide for yourself who deserves praise: at my blog Shawn Lee a Vernon Taxpayer)

Cheers Shawn Lee

A Vernon Taxpayer

RDNO Electoral Area Governance Survey Report.

RDNO Survey Continued

Conclusion of RDNO Survey report