Pay Bills with Furniture

On Tuesday, Williams Lake Council will consider a report from Geoff Paynton (Director of Community Services) which, if adopted, will see the City of Williams Lake take possession of a grand piano, currently owned by the local Community Arts Council, in exchange for WL City Council waiving the $9,312 that the Community Arts Council currently owes the City for the backrent at the former Heritage House when they (Community Arts Council) occupied Heritage House - see Mr. Paynton's report here

However, I already see two problems with this proposal:

1) Political Conflict of Interest

Councillor Walters, as Chair of WL Council's Community Services Portfolio, is in, in my opinion, in a political conflict of interest, given her historical connections to both the WL Studio Theatre Society and also the Community Arts Council (given the local Studio Theatre Society has been a member of the Community Arts Council for a significant period of time) and accordingly, the community shouldn't be surprised of her Portfolio's endorsement of this proposal.  However, I'm perplexed why Councillor Barr (Finance Portfolio Chair) would support this proposal. 

2) Taxes Due to Victoria/Ottawa

If you can't trade valued furniture or other assets in exchange for taxes due to either the provincial or federal governments, then the City of Williams Lake should be no different.  If the Grand Piano is truly valued at $14,000 then let the Community Arts Council sell the Piano, pay the $9,312 they owe City taxpayers' and pocket the rest.  I, as one taxpayer, do not see any value to taking possession of a grand piano.  But expect Williams Lake Council to ultimately adopt the proposal from the Community Arts Council, given the substantive majority of Council are supporters of the Community Arts Council.  I suspect you'll see City Councillor Surinder Rathor to strongly oppose this proposal and vote against it when the time comes and I further believe that this proposal will be a major political liability - both for Mayor Cook and Councillors' Walters', Zacharias, Bourdon, Hebert and Barr when the civic election is held in about a year from now