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THURSDAY, April 19, 2012
Proudly serving Williams Lake and the Cariboo-Chilcotin since 1930
VOL. 82. No. 31
$1.34 inc. HST
Residents Introductory lesson may see 4.9 per cent tax increase Monica Lamb-Yorski Tribune Staff Writer In a vote of five to two council gave the first three readings to its proposed property tax bylaw at the Tuesday evening council meeting, which includes a three per cent tax increase for 2012, with a one per cent tax shift away from major industry to business and residential. As a result, that three per cent would not be a three per cent increase across all classes, but would translate into a 4.87 per cent increase in residential taxes — or $5.50 for every $1,000 of assessed value in 2012, up from $5.26 in 2011. See BONNELL Page A2
Inside the Tribune NEWS A3 Report raises forestry concerns. SPORTS A10 Cougar forward looks back. COMMUNITY A18 Royalty contestants gear up. Weather outlook: Mainly sunny/increasing afternoon cloudiness today, high of 11 C. Mix of sun/cloud Friday, high of 12 C.
Monica Lamb-Yorski photo
Marie Sharpe Elementary School kindergarten students Samira Gilpin, Stanley Young and Shanelle Johnny kept up close and personal with a special visitor to the class on April 17. Jake, an Alaskan Malamute, from the Cariboo Kennel Club, was there with his owner Ruth Kellogg to help the students learn how to properly introduce themselves to a dog.
City of Williams Lake to pay former finance director $15K in settlement Monica Lamb-Yorski Tribune Staff Writer The City of Williams Lake has agreed to pay former finance director Candie Laporte $15,000 in a settlement following a human rights claim she filed against the city in May 2011. Laporte, according to a city news release, had alleged discrimination on the basis of sex in respect of wages. “The City strongly felt that it had not breached the Human Rights
Code,” the release says, adding the parties agreed to attend a mediation with the tribunal on Jan. 24, to see if there was a way to resolve the complaint without proceeding any further with the complaint. In doing so, the parties were successful and resolved the complaint. “The resulting settlement was an economic and practical resolution of the complaint and it did not constitute any admission of wrongdoing, liability, blame, or lack of confidence in the merits of its case by the city,” the release says. “In agreeing
to settle, the city recognized that the costs to defend this complaint, even if it was successful, was going to be much larger than the sum to be paid to Ms. Laporte.” The city says it felt that it was more responsible to the taxpayers to resolve the complaint at mediation rather than paying the city’s lawyers to defend the complaint even though it was confident the complaint would be dismissed. “In return for Ms. Laporte agreeing to withdraw her complaint and release the city from any further
claims or actions, the city made a business decision to pay $15,000 to Ms. Laporte.” The settlement was made public at Tuesday night’s city council meeting when Mayor Kerry Cook read a prepared statement. “This council felt it was important to be open and transparent and that’s why we are being open with this particular information,” Cook said, adding she would not go into any further details because it is a personnel matter. “It’s important to recognize that the complainant was wrong.”