In light of the Cariboo Regional District's most regrettable decision to launch legal proceedings against the City of Williams Lake to honour its' 1st offer to rural fringe residents of CRD Areas D, E and F for fire protection - I'd like to argue why we need to have the same tax structure as the Central Cariboo Recreation Function
Previously (believe in 2007) - WL City Council and the CRD Directors' for Areas D, E, F were able to come to an agreement for one tax rate for recreation in the Central Cariboo area with a defined boundary
With that in mind and given that the fact that some online have argued that it is morally reprehensible that rural residents ought to pay $147 per $100,000 of residential assessment while City of WL residents' pay $74 per $100,000 for the exact same service from the WL Fire Department. That's a 2:1 ratio. I agree with those that say that rural residents' ought not to be 'fleeced' for a common, basic service like fire protection
Had the area politicians (Cariboo RD Directors for Areas D, E, F and WL City Council) started discussions on a Fire Protection Function with a defined boundary and one tax rate that applied to all at the beginning of 2012 - we wouldn't, in my view, be at the stage of legal proceedings of Cariboo Regional District v. Williams Lake (City)
As a City resident (and one that can look at the rural perspective, given my role as Chair of the Cariboo RD Area 'D' Advisory Planning Committee) - I do not and can not accept that fire protection rates, on a perception basis, should be based on where you live... if you can one rate for recreation, common sense dictates that there is no reason why you can't have the same for fire protection. It is a simple case of political will and being reasonable in negotiations between the City of WL and CRD Directors for Areas D, E, F. The principle of negotiations states that you get try to 'come to the middle', even if either side doesn't get what they want...
I don't want to see CRD Area 'E' residents go two or potential more years to establish their own fire department while I have one in Williams Lake ready to go to serve the same residents'... It is a simple matter of taking a 'bird's eye' view of fire protection - for both City and Rural property owners', asking they pay a common and fair rate for a common service that we all need
SBF
2 comments:
Received this comment via Twitter:
"I say we (CRD Area E) go it alone! give the city their one year deal, and by then we will have a fully functional VFD. #nobullies #nogreed"
Good luck with that! I see how much fun rural areas are having getting and keeping volunteers......I'm not prepared to put the safety of my family in home in the hands of volunteers who may, or may not, show up with enough people and equipment to matter.
We've been paying $130 per $100k ( or more) for a while now and the City has done a great job and I have no complaints.
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