Grand Forks Gazette, February 06, 2013

Page 1

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2013

VOL 116 NO. 6

day to Call to how! t find ou

JIM HOLTZ

For the Grand Forks Gazette

Brian Thate

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Mush hour

Christina Lake’s annual Winterfest took place this past weekend at the Lake. Here Al Magaw of Salmo’s Spirit of the North Kennels takes part in a dog sled race. More pics at www.grandforksgazette.ca and on page 32.

DUSTIN LACROIX PHOTO

Boundary property owners could see an increase in taxes in order to create a reserve fund for a new hospital in the Kootenays. Interior Health wants to start planning for a new hospital and some board members of the West Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital District (WKBRHD) believe it might be a good idea to start putting away money now to help pay for it. Brian Taylor, Grand Forks’ mayor and WKBRHD board member, said, “We are hearing from Interior Health that they are going to need another major hospital in five or 10 years but that they are not saying where that hospital would be. It probably would be going into the major population areas of Nelson, Trail or Castlegar, so there are some high hopes there. (The proposal) is to borrow money in advance to basically build up a reserve to better respond to that (need) when the call comes out to move that direction.” The WKBRHD has suggested that all board members return to ask their constituents which one of three property tax increases they should adopt: $5.96 per $100,000 of assessed value annually to create a $1 million reserve, $12.27 annually for a $2 million reserve, or $18.58 annually for $3 million. The cost of a new facility would be in the millions said WKBRHD chair Marguerite Rotvold. “Just the planning might take $10 million,” she added. She placed the tax options before her city council and asked for response from her constituents in an article in the Boundary Creek Times. She said her council was in favour of putting money away and she heard no negative response from local taxpayers. “I’m prepared to support $1 million at least,” Rotvold said. Both Taylor and WKBRHD board member for Area C and RDKB Area C director Grace McGregor question whether the cash reserve should be created at all.

Taylor said, “The folks in the Central Kootenays are more in favour of this than I am in representing Grand Forks. I think at the table there will be a debate about whether we should do this at all. My feeling is that we are currently financed for the facilities that we have, and when we reach that point of needing another facility, that we can spread the share of that responsibility out over 25 or 30 years, again by borrowing. But we don’t need to do it in advance and burden the current taxpayers with planning that facility for the future. It comes down to a real philosophical approach that is going to be the big split.” McGregor agrees that the taxpayers in the Boundary region should make their feelings known about this proposal. “Are people interested in paying higher taxation to plan for the future?” McGregor asked. “Some of the (WKBRHD board members) at the table feel that we should be squirreling away money. How do other people feel about putting more and more money away for the future, paying for people maybe 20 years down the road, before there is a plan for a new regional hospital?” Rotvold said that putting money away ahead is a good idea because interest rates might be much higher in the future, making borrowing money for the construction less attractive. “When the facility is built,” Rotvold said, “it’s a regional facility, it’s not a community facility.” “It’s an important debate,” Taylor said. “We are being sent away to discuss it with our councils; we haven’t passed a formal motion, but I am getting clear nods of support in terms of not adding this additional burden to the taxpayer now.” A decision to increase taxes is to be made at the Feb. 27 meeting of the WKBRHD. Area D member Irene Perepolkin was unavailable for comment due to health issues but previously said that they needed to hear from taxpayers regarding the issue.

Seeking Relay Teams Teams Teams! Sign up for the Boundary Relay For Life, Saturday June 1, 2013. Register today by March 1 for only $10 and receive one entry into a draw to win 1 of 3 Apple iPads! A personal fight against cancer takes courage. A community’s fight takes commitment. Join us at the 2013 Boundary Relay For Life Sign up at Yaky Jacquie’s Cafe or online:

relayforlife.ca

Second Class Registration # PM0034


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