Dear Editor:
I would like to comment on the town council’s apparent move to have water meters installed in all properties that don’t presently have them.
First, I agree with former mayor Stu Wells that this expenditure and direction should be put to a referendum. It is not just the expense to the taxpayers, but is this the direction that the community wishes the council to go?
Without science-based confirmation of our water resources, does metering at this point, make sense?
Are we using the logic that: “ We live in a semi-arid area so in order to conserve water we had better install water meters”?
I as a taxpayer would support the move to meters if a proper independent study was conducted and the need was found to be factual.
In looking at the expense, Wells points out that the experience of other communities has been one of increased costs, much of which is due to the expense of running the system, which usually necessitates increased fees to the taxpayer/user.
The Elephant in the room alluded to by Wells, is the fact that with the next census we will quite likely exceed the 5,000 population mark, which will increase the download of policing costs by senior governments from 30 per cent as it is now to 70 per cent.
As with the new fire hall, policing is an absolute must for the well being of our people, but that is not going to make the necessary increase in taxes any more palatable.
One other factor has to be considered in this mix. With the current talks going on with the school board and the possible busing of students to Oliver and the possible closing of the elementary school and creating a K-to-9 school at the present senior high school, we as a community are going to find it increasingly difficult to attract businesses including health professionals with school aged children.
This in turn impedes the growth of the tax base, which then reflects directly on how much tax each of us must pay.
The demographics of our community are such that we have a higher-than-provincial-average group of retired seniors, many of whom are on fixed incomes.
As Wells and former mayor Tom Shields allude to, what do we want our community to look like?
Whether we like it or not, a major portion of our town’s livelihood comes from the tourism industry. First impressions are important in the building of the tourism business.
I ask council to put this important decision to a referendum so that all in our community have an opportunity to have their voices heard.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to express my concerns.
Derek Noske
Osoyoos, B.C.
