Those paying most can’t vote
by Robin Wark for the Sooke News Mirror September 24, 2003

Part three, division four of the Local Government Act reads: "For clarification, no corporation is entitled to be registered as an elector or have a representative registered as an elector and no corporation is entitled to vote."

It's a very clear statement and applies to the upcoming Dec. 13 District of Sooke referendum on the proposed community sewer system. By choosing a referendum over a council initiative, which operates similar to a counter petition, Sooke's governing body has taken the vote away from the people who will be paying the most for sewers. The council initiative would have allowed each property owner to vote.

Sooke is currently undertaking a phone survey to understand how people feel and what they know about the proposed $17.4 million community sewer system for which the community has receive an $11.6 million Canada-B.C. Infrastructure program grant.

If the independent, random survey shows there is a great deal of support for the system within the specified area, which are the people who would vote in the costly referendum, council should reconsider its decision to go to referendum.

This would save taxpayers about $9,000 and put the decision back into the hands of those, both residential and commercial property owners, who will pay the most for it.