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Resident questions village budget expenditures

To the Editor:

I am writing this letter to let the village council know what I think of the 2011 budget deliberations.

I know they are all smart and intelligent people, but I can’t inderstand what was put in the Review on March 31, 2011.

I can see so much money wasted on items that could be put to much better use.

1. Catch basins and storm drains - $5,067 - I approve of this.

2. Victory Hall heating and cooling - $66,767 - I would like to know what they are doing and why it is costing so much for heating and cooling  - it seems a little out of proportion. Can we justify this expenditure with rentals?

3. Parks tree planting program - $21,429 - We do not need more trees in Memorial Park as it would only make it harder to maintain and screw up events to be held there.

4. Trail development - $5,000  - what a waste of money - for the 25-30 people that use it. There is nothing wrong with it now, although maybe they could find a way to take the broken glass out of it.

5. Village office upgrade - $41,851 - myself and a lot of other people would like to knowwhat they are doing with that money.

6. Sewer liquid waste management plan - $49,012 - What is this?

7. Sewer lift station upgrade  - $50, 427 - This is probably a legitimate expenditure but more information could be forthcoming.

 

8. Purchase of dump truck with accessories - OK

9. Mower attachment - $14, 231

 

Bobcat equipment - $5,651 - OK

10. Website design - $6,000?

11. MAIS licence - $5,000 - What is this?

12. Memorial Park improvements - $13,235 - What are you going to do there?

13. Road rehabilitation - $107,885 - between Sykes Crescent and the west end of Pine Park  there is only about one block of street. What about the rest of the streets in town that are falling apart? Wasn’t Twelfth Street just redone a couple of years ago?

14. Waste water treatment plant - $65,080 OK

So before you pass this budget I think you should let us ( the taxpayers) know what exactly you are doing as these are our tax dollars and we should have a say in what you are spending.

So, think before you leap.

Don’t keep throwing this money away when it could be put to better use.

Tom Farren, Keremeos