Marilyn Milley: CNP Ratepayers Letter

Marilyn Milley, spokesperson for the Crowsnest Pass Ratepayers Association, has a new letter (update) for us on what's happening with this group, and what they are dealing with by way of our municipal council.

Appears like stonewalling, taxing us to death, and spending like drunken sailors is still par for the course with these guys. Give Marilyn's letter a read...

Well once again we have been denied our democratic right to speak and be heard by council and administration. We were scrapped out of the G&P meeting on September 18th apparently because they did not receive the full presentation required for the meeting. Apparently, the initial request was in on time but again not exactly as is required. This smacks of stalling us and not only that but it appears that council, mayor or administration aren’t interested in hearing the important concerns of our citizens. Everyone was very open and honest during our public meetings and we have every intention of presenting them on to council no matter how long it takes. In the meantime it is in our best interests to share our problems with council, with our MLA Pat Stier and the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Doug Griffiths. We will work with the procedural process and expect to present on October 16th to either the G&P or the council meeting.

We know that the members are anxious to hear of any progress on our part but we are doing our best.

We requested pertinent information regarding budget figures on individual services on August 14 and were promised the information would be forthcoming mid -September (which has since come and gone) and we have received nothing.

Again stalling tactics. I have to repeat here that we have a right to be heard and if we don’t have a hearing before council soon then we will go to Municipal Affairs with our concerns. Everything during the public meetings was documented and will be heard come hell or high water.

I realize this is little consolation regarding council’s actions (the overspending and the tactics they are using to tell us that they have decided upon this or that) we should not forget any bylaw is not written in stone and can be overturned if this Council or future Council’s so choose. We have not changed our direction in pressuring Council to curb their spending. One area that we feel we have achieved success is the debate over the Franchise Fees. This was a previously approved tax increase of $366,000 for 2013. Administration brought this to council on September 4th thanks to the revitalization of the Rate Payers Association and Council knowing that concerned ratepayers are watching their actions. This “Tax” instead of automatically being passed on to the taxpayers is now the subject of a fair amount of debate, with some councilors willing to look at cost cuts instead of tax increases. There is no doubt in the Rate Payers minds that this tax increase would have been passed without the attention drawn by our group and putting this issue before the public. This Council has done a lot of damage in 23 months and if they continue a further 13 months on this track will bring much of the same.

Marilyn Milley
(on behalf of the Ratepayers Association)

It isn’t the rebels that cause the troubles of the world, it’s the troubles that cause the rebels.