Central Cariboo HandyDART & Transit Referenda

From the Cariboo Regional District:

Residents of portions of the Cariboo Regional District Electoral Areas D, E and F bordering the City of Williams Lake, will be heading to the polls September 25, 2010 to vote on the proposed expansion of Transit services into their respective areas.

The following is a list of important dates for this year’s referenda;
o Monday, September 13 – *mail in ballots will be available from the CRD office in Williams Lake.
o Wednesday, September 15 – Advance Polls open 8:00 am to 8:00 pm at the CRD office.
o Friday, September 17 – Advance Polls open 8:00 am to 8:00 pm at the CRD office.
o Saturday, September 25 – General Voting Day at locations in 150 Mile House, Wildwood, Mountview and the CRD office.
* Only mail ballots received before 8:00 pm September 25 will be considered valid.

“Based on the feedback we received from our public consultation meetings held this past May, we felt it was prudent to provide residents with two different options,” stated CRD Central Cariboo Rural Caucus Chair Steve Mazur. “Over the weeks leading up to the referenda we want to provide residents within the proposed service area with the information that will allow them to make a decision that is right for them before they head to the polls.”

There will be two referenda with two separate questions. The first one essentially asks if residents wish to receive both fixed route transit and HandyDART services and will read as follows;

‘Are you in favour of the adoption of Central Cariboo Transit Contribution Service Establishment Bylaw No. 4624, 2010 which would allow the following:
• the establishment of a service in a portion of Cariboo Regional District Electoral Areas D, E and F to contribute toward the costs of public transit and HandyDART service with a maximum annual requisition not to exceed the greater of $60,081 or an amount raised by applying a tax rate of $.0948/$1,000 to the net taxable value of land and improvements in the service area (based on 2010 assessed values, the residential rate is $8.46/$100,000 on assessed value of residential land and improvements)?’

The second question will ask residents if they wish to have only HandyDART services available within the immediate area as outlined below;

‘Are you in favour of the adoption of Central Cariboo HandyDART Contribution Service Establishment Bylaw No. 4625, 2010 which would allow the following:

• the establishment of a service in a portion of Cariboo Regional District Electoral Areas D, E and F to contribute toward the costs of HandyDART service with a maximum annual requisition not to exceed the greater of $20,027 or an amount raised by applying a tax rate of $.0316/$1,000 to the net taxable value of land and improvements in the service area (based on 2010 assessed values, the residential rate is $2.82/$100,000 on assessed value of residential land and improvements)?’

Current service levels for the proposed expansion routes consist of four roundtrips per weekday to Commodore Heights, 150 Mile House, and the Mountview/Hodgson Rd areas. Services would be delivered under a Community Transit Partnership Agreement between the Regional District, the City of Williams Lake and BC Transit. Service level changes or route extensions are possible within the service area and may be negotiated in the future with the City and BC Transit.

A map of the proposed service areas along with detailed information about the proposed services will be posted on the CRD website at www.cariboord.bc.ca next week. If you have further questions about the proposed services or are unsure if you reside within the proposed service areas, contact the CRD’s Manager of Community Services or for voting inquiries such as identification required to vote, or voting station locations contact the CRD’s Chief Election Officer at 250-392-3351. Watch your local papers and mail for further details.