South Cariboo Joint Committee discusses recreation priorities

Courtesy of the Cariboo Regional District:

The South Cariboo Joint Committee met on Feb. 6, 2019 to review the strategic priorities for recreation in the South Cariboo. Based on their discussions, the Joint Committee decided to explore changing the taxation boundary for all existing South Cariboo recreation services before considering new major construction projects.

“The Joint Committee has considered and consulted with the public on many recreation projects in the past several years, including an aquatic centre and an expanded recreation centre,” explains Mitch Campsall, Co-Chair of the South Cariboo Joint Committee and the Mayor of 100 Mile House. “Before we can move forward to consider constructing a new major facility, we first need to address the issue of our tax boundaries. We need to make sure the taxation of these recreation services is fairly distributed amongst those who benefit from them.”

The Joint Committee, which consists of Cariboo Regional District Electoral Areas G, H and L Directors and District of 100 Mile House Council, is making the recommendation to the CRD Board to amend the South Cariboo Recreation business plan with reviewing the taxation boundary as the main business plan goal for 2019. The CRD Board will consider the recommendation at their March 1 meeting in Williams Lake.

Fellow Co-Chair of the Joint Committee and CRD Director of Electoral Area 'H', Margo Wagner, explains, “At this point, we’ve simply identified a tax boundary review as our next priority in the South Cariboo Recreation Service and we’ll be looking at all our different options this year. Before any changes are made, we’ll hold extensive public consultation and then there would be a referendum for the public to vote on our proposal.”

Currently, the South Cariboo recreation boundary covers portions of Electoral Areas G, H and L and the District of 100 Mile House. The current boundaries include 68 per cent of the total population of the South Cariboo and 45 per cent of the taxable assessment values in the South Cariboo. See a map at cariboord.ca/southcariboorec.

If the South Cariboo Joint Committee decides to purse changes to the taxation boundary, the Cariboo Regional District will hold a public consultation process and a referendum. More information will be provided throughout the year as the Committee considers different options.

Learn more about the South Cariboo Recreation Service at cariboord.ca/southcariboorec. View the draft 2019 South Cariboo Recreation business plan at cariboord.ca/budget, which will be updated following the CRD Board’s approval of the 2019 Budget on Friday, March 22nd, 2019

~SF