FRIDAY
S I N C E
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MAY 11, 2012 Vol. 117, Issue 92
Paralympic possibility
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Page 13
INCLUDING H.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF
ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALM SALMO
MOM’S THE WORD ON SUNDAY
Meeting of mayors aims to tackle common concerns Elected leaders will meet in Penticton to discuss cost downloading BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER Times Staff
If there is one thing that can draw together municipal politicians of various ilk it is their dissatisfaction with upper levels of government. Next week a contingent of Greater Trail politicians will be heading to Penticton to beat the downloading drum and strategize on how to stem its flow from the province as 86 B.C. mayors congregate for three-day caucus from May 16 to 18. Mayors from Trail, Fruitvale, Rossland, Montrose and across B.C. will look to form a common front on issues that are threatening their ability to deliver core services, mainly downloading services and an inequitable sharing of costs. It is around revenue sharing that the conversation will likely flow, said Bogs. The rising costs of senior government downloading that has been taking place in the last few years, and continues to take place, is hamstringing local government, he said. “We are so dependent on prop-
erty taxation now and are expected to do more and more and more with the eight per cent of the taxes collected. It is just impossible to carry out the kind of mandate we need to with the downloading that is taking place,” he said. Cities, towns and regional districts are responsible for transportation, police and fire services, water, sewage and garbage, recreation and culture, land-use planning, public health and animal control. But those local governments receive only eight per cent of the total public tax revenues, while the province receives 42 per cent and the federal government gets 50 per cent of taxes, according to a press release issued by the mayors. As well, local governments own nearly two thirds of Canada’s core public infrastructure — and are tasked with the cost of maintaining it — yet do not receive a fair share of the monies needed to fulfill the mandate. Rossland Mayor Greg Granstrom wondered how the system could be restructured to more fairly share the financial burdens between the levels of government.
See CORE, Page 3
UPDATE
Paterson family back on the road BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER Times Staff
The waters have receded and access has been restored for the marooned family in Paterson. After spending one week with all property access roads cut off by rising floodwaters from Sophia Creek, eight kilometres south of Rossland, Rob Wagner and his girlfriend, Crystal Maehder, and his son Marek, 8, are back in civilization. For eight days Wagner and his family hadn’t been able to leave their property, nor could he get to work, his truck stranded in a yard surrounded by several feet of water
with no access points to the highway. In order to keep appointments, they have had to slog up the mountain behind the house and through the forest, hike across a slope, and then cross the fast-flowing, waterfilled ditch and hope to hitch a ride into town. But as the floodwater subsided last weekend the area’s maintenance contractor, Emcon Services Inc., was able to restore one of the two property accesses to Highway 22 that had been completely washed away when the creek jumped its banks Feb. 26.
See MOT, Page 3
TIMOTHY SCHAFER PHOTO
Flowers say it all and Fern Wilson’s work bench has it all at Ye Olde Flower Shoppe on Spokane Street as she arranges bouquets and baskets in the preparation for Mother’s Day this Sunday. There is still room for more flower orders, says Wilson, and flowers are standing by.
Contact the Times: Phone: 250-368-8551 Fax: 250-368-8550 Newsroom: 250-364-1242
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