WELCOME TO THE THIRD COSTLIEST CITY IN THE GVRD AND THE SIXTH MOST DANGEROUS CITY IN CANADA TO LIVE IN

Kudos to Councillors Bob Osterman and Betty MacIntosh for taking a stand during council's budget deliberations this year. The last five years have seen budget increases that simply are alarming. The increases have positioned New Westminster to be the third highest taxed jurisdiction in the GVRD (Metro).

The two cities ahead of New Westminster, West Vancouver and White Rock, are positioned where they are primarily because of a virtual and comparative absence of an industrial and business sector. This is not so in New Westminster, although with the addition of many housing units, and the loss of many jobs in the city, we are fast becoming a bedroom community.

What makes the financial situation in New Westminster even more perplexing is that the city has had access to revenues from gaming and from the City's electrical utility. These revenues last year totaled between 8 and 9 million dollars. Given these numbers, it is clear that the tax and spend crowd truly are in control at 511 Royal Ave. I want to be really clear here, that I am not commenting on city staff. My remarks are aimed directly at political decision-makers.

With the onslaught of high-rises, our so called leaders are under the illusion that the residential growth will lead to prosperity for the city. A recent spate of literature on the topic indicates that quite the opposite is true.

In New Westminster, because of the city's failure to maintain a competitive Development Cost Charge (DCC) and amenities schedule, the city's infrastructure is falling behind. An article in the Record recently, quoted the Mayor as saying that the infrastructure needs list totaled over $250M.
You read Wright! A quarter of a billion bucks!!

Consider the budget increases, the access to extraordinary revenue streams for the city, the fact that not a single recreation/leisure facility/arts facility/firehall has been added during this Mayor's tenure (in fact, the Burr Theatre and the Moody Park Pool have been shut down), and you have to wonder who is running the ship. Could it possibly be the crew of The Queen of the North?

Consider that, in the city's emergency services, no additional police (the addition of which explains tax increases in some jurisdictions), and the fact that the fire plan has not been added to (the city badly needs a new third hall), makes the current financial situation even more questionable. Throw in the recent MacLeans article on dangerous cities (more on that elsewhere). It all adds up to poor political leadership.

Councillors MacIntosh and Osterman, hang in there. There will be better times ahead.

Meanwhile, as the old adage goes, it is difficult to soar like an eagle when you are flying with turkeys.
- C.C.