Oak Bay Watch Newsletter – Friday May 5th, 2017
Oak Bay Council is currently split 50/50 on several fronts:
At last Wednesday’s May 3rd, Public Meeting for the Bowker / Cadboro Bay Road Project, attention was drawn to this significant Council “division” by Oak Bay’s long term former Mayor. He explained Council and the Community is split 50/50 on this over-dense condo project.. He wisely recommended delaying any decision until some middle ground could be determined. He stressed this is the course of action he would take if he were still Mayor.
The Oak Bay News has provided one-sided coverage of these issues and has omitted to fully explain the Councilor’s positions who vote against the Mayor and his Councillors. The fact the Mayor often makes the deciding vote on the side of the three Council members who agree with him has also not been commented on. Unfortunately these block vote decisions are not in the best interests of the Community. For example the longer delay in investing in infrastructure priorities will get costlier every single year. It is obvious spending infrastructure funds to cover development initiatives obstructs our staff’s recommendation to direct all resources to get the Asset Management (infrastructure improvement) Plan underway.
For additional information – Oak Bay Watch has obtained a copy of a letter sent to the Oak bay News, we provide it for your consideration.
Oak Bay News letter to the Editor
Submitted May 1st, 2017 with an explanation it was important the public be made aware of half of Council opposing viewpoints and a request for publication before the final budget approval Council Meeting May 8th, 2017. The Oak Bay News Editor implied this request would be respected. It was not.
DEVELOPMENT WINS OVER INFRASTRUCTURE
Article Oak Bay News – April 28th. 2017, “2.8% tax hike in Oak Bay draft budget” The Mayor’s account sugar coats the real story behind this year’s property tax increase. Council, at an earlier April Estimates Meeting, approved a 3.8% property tax increase. Those of us at the meeting heard a polarized debate on a staff recommendation to table the Mayor's and three Councilors' secondary (basement) suite legalization process. Staff said they were flat out running the Municipality and had to concentrate on addressing an over-all infrastructure plan. Council agreed that a $700,000 Federal Gas-Tax Grant would be reserved for the District's upcoming big infrastructure projects.
Councilors, Murdoch, Braithwaite and Zhelka provided very compelling arguments and evidence as to why funding should not be set aside for suites at this point. They reasoned this expenditure represents a considerable part of the almost 4% property tax increase and a consultant’s report had strongly advised the immediate upgrading of our neglected, system-wide infrastructure. They also opposed hiring a new Information Technology Manager (IT) position ($140,000) when there is an IT member on staff. A concern was that many costly administrative staff had already been added to the Municipal payroll.
Unfortunately, these rational, substantiated arguments did not deter the Mayor and Councilors Kirby, Croft and Ney from allocating almost $300,000 to achieve their suite and IT manager priorities. The $300,000 was approved by a 4-3 vote.
At Council five days later however, and again despite strong Councilor opposition, the 4-3 vote Councilors, decided to transfer the $200,000 cost for four minor public works projects, already provided for in the 2017 operating budget, to the infrastructure reserve account. This reduced the property tax increase to 2.8%. Their rationale was that this would be in the best interests of the Community. But is it?
The reality is: another big tax increase would not sit well politically and, if the Mayor and his three Councilors had not over-spent taxpayer dollars by $300,000 to fund their priorities, this transfer would not be necessary. The reserve funds were to be saved for upcoming large and critical community infrastructure projects. This basement suite expenditure had not been discussed with the public and was strongly opposed by half of Council. They understand these funds will likely be paid for or borrowed by the next Council.
It is clear that the Municipality’s infrastructure reserve accounts must not be used to offset the overspent operating budget as voted for by a majority of Council. This is poor management, a fiscally irresponsible accounting practice and, as a Councilor clearly pointed out, will end up costing us much more very soon.
*******Please help us continue to provide you with information about Community concerns and Council decisions and actions. Oak Bay Watch members also help community groups with their specific development concerns. Donate to Oak Bay Watch - even $5 or $10 dollars provides expenses for door- to- door handouts and helps us maintain our website. Oak Bay Watch is committed to ensuring the Community gets the full range of information on budget, governance and all key development issues – a well informed opinion cannot be made without this.
(Please use Donate Button at bottom of oakbaywatch.com Home Page)
To continue to keep informed please sign up for our newsletter – bottom of Newsletter page.
Oak Bay Council is currently split 50/50 on several fronts:
- Allocating $250,000 for basement suite legalization to over-densify Oak bay. The number one resident concern was over-densification as indicated in Council’s recent Council Satisfaction Survey;
- The Bowker / Cadboro Bay Road Project that certainly fits the over-densification
- A recent Council decision to use our infrastructure savings to pay for their $300,000 overspent operating expenses. These reserve funds were set–aside for our high cost Infrasucture projects, and intended to kick start Oak Bay’s serious neglected infrastructure problem later this year.
At last Wednesday’s May 3rd, Public Meeting for the Bowker / Cadboro Bay Road Project, attention was drawn to this significant Council “division” by Oak Bay’s long term former Mayor. He explained Council and the Community is split 50/50 on this over-dense condo project.. He wisely recommended delaying any decision until some middle ground could be determined. He stressed this is the course of action he would take if he were still Mayor.
The Oak Bay News has provided one-sided coverage of these issues and has omitted to fully explain the Councilor’s positions who vote against the Mayor and his Councillors. The fact the Mayor often makes the deciding vote on the side of the three Council members who agree with him has also not been commented on. Unfortunately these block vote decisions are not in the best interests of the Community. For example the longer delay in investing in infrastructure priorities will get costlier every single year. It is obvious spending infrastructure funds to cover development initiatives obstructs our staff’s recommendation to direct all resources to get the Asset Management (infrastructure improvement) Plan underway.
For additional information – Oak Bay Watch has obtained a copy of a letter sent to the Oak bay News, we provide it for your consideration.
Oak Bay News letter to the Editor
Submitted May 1st, 2017 with an explanation it was important the public be made aware of half of Council opposing viewpoints and a request for publication before the final budget approval Council Meeting May 8th, 2017. The Oak Bay News Editor implied this request would be respected. It was not.
DEVELOPMENT WINS OVER INFRASTRUCTURE
Article Oak Bay News – April 28th. 2017, “2.8% tax hike in Oak Bay draft budget” The Mayor’s account sugar coats the real story behind this year’s property tax increase. Council, at an earlier April Estimates Meeting, approved a 3.8% property tax increase. Those of us at the meeting heard a polarized debate on a staff recommendation to table the Mayor's and three Councilors' secondary (basement) suite legalization process. Staff said they were flat out running the Municipality and had to concentrate on addressing an over-all infrastructure plan. Council agreed that a $700,000 Federal Gas-Tax Grant would be reserved for the District's upcoming big infrastructure projects.
Councilors, Murdoch, Braithwaite and Zhelka provided very compelling arguments and evidence as to why funding should not be set aside for suites at this point. They reasoned this expenditure represents a considerable part of the almost 4% property tax increase and a consultant’s report had strongly advised the immediate upgrading of our neglected, system-wide infrastructure. They also opposed hiring a new Information Technology Manager (IT) position ($140,000) when there is an IT member on staff. A concern was that many costly administrative staff had already been added to the Municipal payroll.
Unfortunately, these rational, substantiated arguments did not deter the Mayor and Councilors Kirby, Croft and Ney from allocating almost $300,000 to achieve their suite and IT manager priorities. The $300,000 was approved by a 4-3 vote.
At Council five days later however, and again despite strong Councilor opposition, the 4-3 vote Councilors, decided to transfer the $200,000 cost for four minor public works projects, already provided for in the 2017 operating budget, to the infrastructure reserve account. This reduced the property tax increase to 2.8%. Their rationale was that this would be in the best interests of the Community. But is it?
The reality is: another big tax increase would not sit well politically and, if the Mayor and his three Councilors had not over-spent taxpayer dollars by $300,000 to fund their priorities, this transfer would not be necessary. The reserve funds were to be saved for upcoming large and critical community infrastructure projects. This basement suite expenditure had not been discussed with the public and was strongly opposed by half of Council. They understand these funds will likely be paid for or borrowed by the next Council.
It is clear that the Municipality’s infrastructure reserve accounts must not be used to offset the overspent operating budget as voted for by a majority of Council. This is poor management, a fiscally irresponsible accounting practice and, as a Councilor clearly pointed out, will end up costing us much more very soon.
*******Please help us continue to provide you with information about Community concerns and Council decisions and actions. Oak Bay Watch members also help community groups with their specific development concerns. Donate to Oak Bay Watch - even $5 or $10 dollars provides expenses for door- to- door handouts and helps us maintain our website. Oak Bay Watch is committed to ensuring the Community gets the full range of information on budget, governance and all key development issues – a well informed opinion cannot be made without this.
(Please use Donate Button at bottom of oakbaywatch.com Home Page)
To continue to keep informed please sign up for our newsletter – bottom of Newsletter page.