Industrial Taxation & City of Williams Lake Mayor Cook

This past week, WL Council, meeting in Committee of the Whole, met with Tom Hoffman & Mark Stevens from Tolko regarding the proposed 2011 City of WL Heavy Industry Tax Mill Rate.  See the Tribune's article here

However, it is a couple of statements that Mayor Cook made at this meeting that I wish to delve into a little further:

1) Mayor Kerry Cook said the industry tax-rate increase is due to assessments in that category dropping over the years for industrial properties within the City boundary

If I was in industry (heavy/light) and heard that statement - I would be offended because the City has just said - don't blame us, blame BC Assessment.  For a City that needs industry here to maintain a certain standard of basic services for the City of Williams Lake, that is a irresponsible, although truthful, statement to make and does nothing to build confidence that the City is serious about working with industry on their high tax load.  Note - Quesnel, Kamloops, Castlegar took industry's taxation concerns a little more seriously and worked with them to bring their tax load down over time

2) She (Cook) also cited ongoing financial demands on the City such as repaying debt and interest on the debt, as well as the challenge of managing services downloaded by other levels of government

Firstly - yes, the Fire Hall debt was not done on her watch however she could have said - you know what - maybe now is not the right time to borrow more money until we get our long-term debt to a manageable level (ie - from $15 million down to say $6-7 million).  Besides, it was never said Mackenzie Avenue must be done immediately but it had challenges before and could have waited a few more years

Secondly - With regard to downloading from Ottawa and Victoria - one would think that before you go "head-first" into funding the arts, via local taxpayers', when Victoria/Ottawa should be funding it as the local arts sector has been identified as a "economic generator" then Mayor Cook could have shown leadership by saying - "I believe that the Arts/Culture Function is a form of downloading and I won't go along with it"

Finally - Food for Thought:

Yesterday - I called on the Rush to suspend its "Town Hall" program relationship with Mayor Cook, this fall, during September - November 19th to ensure she doesn't receive free advertising. 

At the Monday, December 13th, 2010 afternoon meeting - the Township of Langley Council passed a resolution as follows:

WHEREAS elected officials should not campaign using taxpayer money, and

WHEREAS the Township Page is an important communication tool and should be strictly non-political, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED THAT Township of Langley staff amend Township Page procedures to ensure that no elected officials’ names or photos appear on the Township Page during election years (including 2011), except where mandated by provincial statute.

Question - Should the City of Williams Lake and even the Cariboo Regional District pass a similiar Policy to ensure official City of Williams Lake/Cariboo Regional District advertising, in the year of an election, be seen as "non-partisan" and "non-political"

SBF