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Exploring the sea: Aquarium society embarks on expansion Page 42
2015 Newspaper Excellence
View our eEditions online FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2015
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Council settles for 1.69 per cent tax increase KRisten douglas Campbell RiveR miRRoR
Campbell River’s mayor admits he’s surprised by this year’s tax increase. Council whittled down the tax hike in 2015 to 1.69 per cent, which equates to $24 more for the average assessed home and a $246.62 increase for the average business. Mayor Andy Adams said while he was pleased to see council arrive at the figure it did, he has some concerns. “I think during the last election, the message was loud and clear that we need to be cognizant of tax levels – to be honest, I think we got lower than I thought we would,” Adams said Wednesday afternoon, following three days of budget deliberations. “I expected in the neighbourhood of 2.2 to 2.4 per cent. To get to 1.69 is good on one side but still leaves work to do on the other side. There’s still the outstanding issue of having to replenish our reserves.” That’s because council, in order to arrive at 1.69 per cent, took $200,000 out of the city’s 2014 general operating surplus. Adams and first-time councillors Michele Babchuk and Colleen Evans were the only members of council opposed to doing so. It was Coun. Larry Samson who
made the motion to dip into those monies after council was stuck at a 2.64 per cent tax increase following more than four hours of deliberations Wednesday. Coun. Charlie Cornfield agreed with Samson’s recommendation, sensing that council wasn’t willing to cut any further. “I would have preferred more harder decisions looking at items that we could eliminate to reduce the increase but if council is at the point where it doesn’t want to reduce activities further and you still want to see a lower tax increase, this to me is one of the only ways we can achieve that so reluctantly I will be supporting,” Cornfield said. Coun. Babchuk said she couldn’t support using the surplus monies because she was worried about the impact it may have on the city’s reserves, or savings accounts. “I have a significant concern when we’re talking about drawing on the surplus or drawing down those reserves more as a new councillor, not totally having my head wrapped around what those reserves and surplus actually are,” Babchuk said. “I don’t believe we’re in that big of a quandary right now where we’re landing. “I would like to see it come down a bit more but not enough that I Continued on Pg. 3
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J.R. RaRdon/Campbell RiveR miRRoR
Student Andrew Enevoldsen and teacher Jennifer Hunt greet visitors to the second Anti-Bullying Fun Fair at École Phoenix Middle School Wednesday.
Phoenix was in the pink event to cap a day-long celebration of Pink Shirt. “This is fabulous for us,” said Thomas Longridge, SD72 Superintendent of Schools, as he strolled through the crowds resplendent in his own pink button-down shirt. “It’s a wonderful integration of things, with kids of all ages getting a chance to communicate with each other while also bringing the community in.” Among the many activities fea-
J.R. RaRdon
Campbell RiveR miRRoR
A few of the younger visitors appeared slightly intimidated by the life-sized RCMP Safety Bear, but École Phoenix Middle School was a bully-free zone Wednesday night during the second annual Anti-Bullying Fun Fair. The gym was filled with a profusion of pink shirts as Campbell River School District hosted the
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tured at the fair were Bouncea-Rama games, donated for the night, face-paining, a photo booth with silly costumes, a book fair and snack stations including cotton candy and a bake sale. Volunteers were made up largely of Carihi’s Sports Leadership and Interact clubs and Phoenix Middle School’s Fitness and Rec Leadership group, working in partnership. All proceeds raised were to benefit supContinued on Pg. 4
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