Editor's note: The author refers to the subject matter covered by BayToday in City's share to move forward with Canada Place project is $194K and Canada Place project gets lukewarm reception at council level. It will be revisited at the committee level during a special meeting on Tuesday, July 11.
To the editor:
Some facts to consider when voting on the $250,000 waterfront garden expenditure:
- The cost of this project was included in the 2023 capital budget. The capital budget was passed unchanged. This means that the money is being collected from taxpayers in their 2023 tax bills regardless of the outcome of the vote.
- Whether it is approved or not, taxpayers will not save one penny since the money will remain in the hands of the city where it will eventually be transferred to reserves to benefit some future group of taxpayers instead of those who contributed the funds
- This expense is only the capital cost of the project and is only the beginning and does not consider the costs of upkeep and maintenance for decades to come.
Although the amount is basically petty cash in the entire scheme of things, council should show a change of direction, shelve this project and return the taxes collected from taxpayers by way of a transfer from reserves to income in 2024.
Donald Rennick CPA, CA
North Bay
