Dear Editor,

At the CVRD board meeting on December 10th, there will be a vote on going ahead with a "unified alternative approval process" which could result in approval of five regional initiatives: 1) borrowing $2.755m for new Union Bay Fire Hall; 2) borrowing $3m for new artificial turf field; 3) converting regional transit function to "the provision of regional transportation services and initiatives that advance modal shift"; 4) converting existing emergency shelter/supportive housing function to the Comox Valley Housing Service and changing its purpose to "the provision of non-market housing, including investing in, developing, acquiring, holding and disposing of lands and buildings for the purposes of providing non-market housing and the provision of assistance in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act to a corporation established by the Comox Valley Regional District for non-market housing purposes" and increasing the maximum annual allowable requisition for the service to $1,500,000 or $0.05592 per $1,000 of assessed value; and, 5) increasing the maximum annual allowable requisition for the existing Comox Valley homelessness support services function to $550,000 or $0.02732 per $1,000 of assessed value. 

All of these changes (if approved by default if not more than 10 per cent of electors object by mid-February) will result in significant tax increases for property owners in the Town of Comox and elsewhere. Leaving aside Union Bay Fire Hall and artificial turf field initiatives, the other three initiatives leave much to be desired as matter of fair democratic process and offloading of federal/provincial obligations to local governments. 

Rather than converting existing functions to new purposes, there should have been a discussion around creating new functions for these purposes, which would give participants the opportunity to decide whether to become involved from the outset. Reality now is that Town of Comox taxpayers will have little to no say on funds being expended at the Comox Valley Regional District for purposes (active transportation, non-market housing, and more homelessness support funding) that may be laudable but not within the scope and mandate of local governments. 

As one example, it is being proposed that there be an active transportation link between Cumberland and Courtenay that could cost at least $15m, which is of no benefit to Comox, and clearly within provincial jurisdiction. If these initiatives go ahead, there will be very little accountability and demonstrated lack of capacity at the Comox Valley Regional District to achieve the desired results. Keep your eyes open for opportunity to file a notice of objection by mid-February to force a referendum or at least a sober second look at what is being proposed and how it might be more democratically achieved through local governments.

Paul Ives

Comox