Editor, The Times:
I’m a firm believer that we need to live within our means. Sure, we can borrow money and get what we desire but, as anyone who has been down that road knows, debt is a tie that can bind so tightly that it can leave you a miserable wreck.
In local government, we agonize over the balance between what those we represent need, and what they desire. The pool is a great example. Some want a pool, but can we afford a pool? We could try for a grant to build one, but how would we pay for the operating costs, which often exceed the construction costs within a few short years? No one will deny the value the Sportsplex has in this valley but if it were a business it would’ve gone under in the first few months. We’re told to never look a gift horse in the mouth, but the person who came up with that saying probably didn’t have to pay the lifetime hay bill.
Our role as local government is to first keep this place operating, then we see what we have left for entertainment, education, etc. Because of the relative size of this town, and the makeup of its income sources, this is a huge struggle. Our tax rates are an insanely complex set of variables, taking in various different rates for various different property classes. Adjust one variable and the results for all others can change. And sometimes a variable can adjust itself, like a major industry such as a mill closing down. Same bills, less taxes to pay them with – just ask Barriere.
I read posts about other towns and what they do but those are apples-to-oranges comparisons. You cannot compare what you pay in taxes to what your friend in Hinton or elsewhere does, and assume you can get the same level of service dollar for dollar. Why? Because all towns are made up differently. Hinton has a lot of industry and accommodation, all of which are taxed at an exponentially higher rate than your residential rate. Clearwater has very little industry by comparison. Clearwater has over 70 km of roads, and a relatively low number of houses per road mile. This lack of urban density is a huge issue. Look at the separate values of your house and your land on your assessment and you’ll understand that if you had two or three houses on the same two-acre lot, you could be paying double or more in taxes for the same level of roads and sewers passing by.
And service costs like snow removal are not apples to apples either. Precipitation, soil, and urban density can vastly change a cost. Edmonton does not plow its side streets because it’s flat and they get modest snow. Rossland is built on rock so cutting a new sewer line in means blasting. Streets in Vancouver need storm sewers to deal with rainfall, whereas San Diego does not.
These are the realities we face here, and frankly, we’re on a pretty strict diet; we have little wiggle room to do much on jobs, doctors and seniors, let alone anything new or fun. Without grants, and community partners, you would not see much change; some of the things you see now would likely fade away. We are in the process of taking on our road maintenance right now, and this one item alone could be a game changer for us financially.
We are currently in the budgeting process, which we will roll out to the public in the next few months. Come ask questions and get a true understanding of what we’re dealing with. Collectively, we may not be able to change things much, but at least we can all be on the same page as to which direction we’re head in.
Merlin Blackwell, councillor
District of Clearwater