Response to Letter to the Editor: "No More Blank Cheques"

In response to the October 14 letter to the editor of Castanet titled “No more blank cheques”, this letter is to provide your readers with the accurate information to be properly informed about the Fire Hall Referendum in the District of Lake Country.

What is correct is there is a referendum question on the municipal election ballot to approve the borrowing of up to $6.6 million to fund the construction of a new fire hall and if approved by the electorate will mean $90 per year for 20 years based on the average home value of $656,000.

Why a new fire hall?
In 1956, 10 residents formed the Winfield Volunteer Fire Brigade. A siren was installed on the roof of Al's Cafe and residents were asked not to call the cafe if the siren sounded as the phone line needed to be free to call the volunteers. The only equipment was shovels and garden hoses carried in the trunks of the volunteers' cars. From there, the Fire District was incorporated in 1959 and money to buy a fire truck and property and funds to build a fire hall was received from the province. Fast forward to today, with some parts of the Winfield fire hall being over 50 years old, the building will need major repairs just to maintain the current structure. A major renovation would also trigger upgrades to meet the current Building Code requirements, and may be just as costly as a new building.

What about call volume?
By 1974 the department had responded to 44 alarms. In 1983 the number grew to 107; in 2003 there were 560, 888 in 2009 and 1,134 in 2017. But it is still the same Fire Hall.

How is this paid for?
Any long-term borrowing undertaken by the District is through the Municipal Finance Authority.  All borrowing is done over 20 years with a renewal after 10 years, so for the first 10 years the repayment of this loan will remain the same. At the end of 10 years there is the ability to make a lump sum payment or pay the debt out. This is the same process as the referendum for the Okanagan Rail Trail. Each year, $164,382 is paid back for the financing of the Rail Trail. There is no annual tax increase that causes this amount to increase. In fact, based on this same borrowing process, the amount each home is paying for the Rail Trail is less each year than the $27 stated by the writer because the amount being repaid remains the same but the tax base is larger. 

All financial information is available in the District of Lake Country’s Financial Plan and Annual Report. Additionally, we invite and encourage residents to be a part of the annual budgeting process starting in December 2018 to be informed and provide your input on how your community tax dollars should be allocated. There will be online budgeting programs, scheduled open houses throughout the community to better meet resident’s busy lives and Council meetings specifically regarding budget considerations.

Matt Vader, Manager of Strategic and Support Services
District of Lake Country