100 Mile House
Farm co-op looking forward to another year
Snowmobile club members ride to Wells
Granberg to be inducted to Cowboy Hall of Fame
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Nordics snow camp
A25 MARCH 28, 2012
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Mayor: tax panel lacks local reps Carole Rooney Free Press
Chris Nickless photo
This is for you... Shawna Norton as Axl Rose performed the song, “Welcome to the Jungle,” by Guns ‘N Roses at the Bankers Variety Show on March 24. Norton says this was payback to her son and his band, which practised this song endlessly in their basement.
Trails get development funding The Cariboo Regional District (CRD) is receiving $401,250 from the B.C. Liberal government’s Community Recreation Program to help develop wheelchair-accessible wilderness trails. The CRD submitted the application on behalf of 14 trails in the region, but hasn’t yet announced how much of the funding will go to each project.
The four South Cariboo community groups benefitting from the funds include the 108 Greenbelt Commission, Hun City Bike Club, Roe Lake and District Rec. Commission and Lac la Hache Community Club. 108 Greenbelt Commission chair Ron Soeder says whatever funds it gets will be used to extend the existing Sepa Lake accessi-
ble trail to the Main Beach, and eventually, onward to the 108 Heritage Site. “It provides a real opportunity, with people visiting [the site] there who want to go a little further, and experience and enjoy the lake environment, and perhaps have physical challenges.” See TRAIL… page A3
The District of 100 Mile House councillors have resolved to send a letter to Premier Christy Clark, Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) to express their disappointment the province’s recently selected Expert Panel on Tax (EPT) lacks any local-government representation. The letter will join many others from municipalities and regional districts around the province. Without someone from local government included, Mayor Mitch Campsall says the panel won’t provide the “true and honest picture” that was intended. “How do you do a review on local taxation [across the province] without someone from local government? It doesn’t even make sense.” The representative Campsall would like to see doesn’t need to be an elected official, he explains, but should be someone who’s dealing with local government taxes at all times, such as a municipal administrator. “Somebody from local government should be there looking at those from [that] side.” A panel representative selected from UBCM would be ideal, the mayor adds. “UBCM understands it. UBCM deals with it all the time. So, who better to look at it?” The mandate of the EPT includes reviewing the local government tax
Mitch Campsall environment for business and developing recommendations about which taxes most influence competitiveness and economic growth. Another component of the review will be to look at municipal property taxation of business. Chaired by University of B.C. chancellor Sarah Morgan-Silvester, other panel members include top management from organizations, including Goldcorp, Canadian Federation of Independent Business, KPMG/ Vancouver Board of Trade; and Ernst & Young LLP; as well as another representative from UBC and a former deputy minister of Community and Rural Development. The panel will report back to the government with its recommendations by Aug. 31.
The Voice of the South Cariboo Since 1960 How to reach us: Ph: 250-395-2219 Fax: 250-395-3939 www.100milefreepress.net mail@100milefreepress.net