Dear residents of Creston,
In an article in the Creston Valley Advance printed on April 29, “Creston’s town council provides update on future emergency services building”, I would like to point out to you the following:
The article reads “According to town staff, the revised budget for the CESB will not cause a future increase in taxation to residents.”
I am trying to avoid having to deal with an excuse that the town “staff” gave the wrong information, if at a future date, taxes are increased because of the CESB loan.
My reason being the Town of Creston has an online document titled Fire Hall Advisory Select Committee, Referendum Question. The document reads, and I quote “Town Council proposes to adopt “Protective Services Building Loan Authorisation Bylaw No. 1872, 2018”, which will authorize the Town of Creston to borrow $4,500,000 repayable over a period of not more than 30 years, for the development and construction of a new fire hall, for which the Town’s share will represent an annual property tax levy of approximately $22.60 per $100,000 of the assessed value of residential property within the Town’s boundaries.”
Do you realize that on a $400,000 dollar property your taxes will be increased by approximately $90 and by approximately $136 on a property worth $600,000?
(Editor’s note: The Advance could not verify the source of these figures by press time.)
As that was 2018 figures, I am sure by now that amount will have doubled just like the material for the construction of the building. And it will be blamed on COVID 19.
I would like the mayor and councillors to explain publicly, in the Creston Valley Advance, how the Town of Creston can say their staff can assure the property tax payers of Creston that there will be no increase in taxes in the future, as pertains to this loan for the CESB.
Please explain, also publicly, what the actual dollar-value difference is between the cost of lumber and the prefabricated concrete, as curious minds would like to know. To make it plain and simple, what was the actual quoted price for all the lumber, and what is the actual quoted price for all the prefabricated concrete?
This is food for thought for all property tax paying residents in Creston. Please be assured, I am not against a new fire hall. I voted yes for a new fire hall, but at the cost as it was presented to me just prior to that vote. I believe the rest of you who voted yes did so on the same information that I was provided. My personal opinion is you do not say one thing to get a vote and then change course after you have the yes vote, which seems to me to be what is happening here. I am not making an accusation, but I would like to have clarification of the facts as relates to the above questions and I am sure I am not the only resident of Creston who would like to have these questions answered.
Thank you,
Nora Maddocks, Creston