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Sewer Plan Stinks

Letter by Lois Gardner to the Sooke News Mirror, December 11, 2002

Editor:
Regarding John Stephen’s letter last week, and J. Smith’s of the week before, they are quite right, this sewer plan stinks. I was stunned that the mayor could blow off a 50 per cent tax increase as "two cups of coffee." In most other communities a heartless comment like that would have been political suicide. Of course it’s understandable when he and most of the rest of council don’t live in the specified area, so will not pay a red cent personally. If council members DO own holding property in the core area, then they are surely in conflict of interest to be voting on this matter.

What ticks me most about the process is that the planning is going ahead, at some expense no doubt, without even a letter or a by-your-leave to those of us who are expected to pay for it. Taxpayers deserve more respect than this high-handed treatment, and this illogical approach of proceeding before getting approval.

Most of the housing stock in Broom Hill is quite new, and J. Smith and her neighbours should not have to pay, on top of their big mortgages, for anything more than the septic fields in their back yards. It will be 50 years before that area is rolled over into higher density, so it is grossly unfair to subject those properties to a sewer levy that offers them no benefit. Even on the older edge of town, around Golledge, where I live, this plan will tax retired people out of their houses in order to build a seniors’ complex ... this is so funny- why is nobody laughing?

If the upgrading of the business area requires sewers, fine. Pare down the sewer plan to cover the business district and let the businesses and holding properties there foot the bill since they will reap the benefit. The seniors’ facility would be best placed downtown in any case, if it really must be on a sewer line. Any lingering problems with sewage contamination of the harbour can be revealed by point source tracking, at which the town engineer is well experienced. This smaller plan would be more likely to be approved for a grant and would put a lot of minds to rest on this issue.

I hope that the new council will review this whole sewer concept and come to a more financially realistic and fair decision.

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