Sunday 9 November 2014

A-word again in the news.



Our outgoing Mayor Sawatzky is worried that the “newly elected” may give offense to our neighbours by giving support to looking governance options. No one was particularly worried about Vernon sensitivities when the effects of micro annexations study were undertaken and recently published by the RDNO; this all at taxpayer expense. Mayor Garlick acclaimed in Coldstream feels Vernon candidates are supporting an annexation study motivated by political opportunism and “without fully thinking it through”. His comment would be more appropriate if we actually had a recent study in hand and were considering rushing the next step which would be the formulation of a referendum question to be put to people.
The local voters seem to be trusted by our politicians to express our opinion on the $70,000,000 borrowing question on the Master Water plan but not with a chance to support a look at how we are governed.
Be assured that the writer firmly believes the question of how we are governed in Greater Vernon must ultimately be put to the residents. I have held this opinion for a very long time as has our local business community. “What is good for the goose is good for the gander”. Just as the EA’s had a study of the effects of small annexations on their viability Vernon needs to look at the benefits that could accrue by conducting an amalgamation study of Greater Vernon. Let us see if there is another governance option worth pursuing. If there is, then let us put to the people.
Cheers Shawn Lee: Candidate for Vernon City Council vernonmorningstar.com/news/281967581.html

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