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LETTER: Wake taxpayers of Vernon

To the editor:
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To the editor:

It is time to demand that that Mayor and council of Vernon give us an real update on the financial state of our city and what they have been doing to maintain a balanced budget.

Here are my reasons why I want accountability.

Look at how much money the regional district (us the taxpayers) are paying for erosion on the Okanagan Rail Trail now and in the future. They did not tell us when they asked for money about this.

Then there is a group still wanting to spend $25 million on the Cultural Centre and they have not even presented us with a business plan.

Then they want to spend $2-million more on a new park by the railway tracks, a good combination railways and kids.

This will give the homeless an hew place to live. I have not seen any projected yearly costs of this new park just ask for money. The final thing is this $90 million for a new recreation centre without a business plan.

No reports supporting the centre regarding why move it from a convenient place downtown to the north end of town. Everyone complains about the transit service to here but no report. Then what about parking at the best of times when the rinks are in use parking is a problem but no report.

No report on what it will cost to run this new centre, how many new personnel are going to be required.

No report on ow much cheaper it would be to renovate the old centre.

The mayor and council wish to spend all this money without giving us any financial information. This with what it going on in our province, country and world.

The federal government net deficit this year over $ trillion. They do not even know how long it will take to pay off or if the economy if will ever come back to pre covid numbers.

The provincial government as of the writing of this letter has not given us a account of how we are doing. The economy here might not rebound, tourism might not ever rebound.

So how do these governments pay for all this by increasing taxes and or slowing the amount of money available to the cities for grants, the grants that our mayor and council are depending on to help pay for the toys they want to build.

Do we really need or require any of these things at this time?

Garry Haas

Vernon, B.C.