The proposed First Nations 1% water tax is on hold . The 13% water rate increase will likely go ahead. More details as the become available . It is important to note that the District of Tofino has several water and sewer agreements with First Nations that were discussed in a fair and transparent manner before they were signed.
18 comments:
Thanks to the Community Members who pay Attention !
For a no nonsense approach and clear answers on his position , Vote JJ.
Yes and if you have not joined the Ratepayers association, please do so.
www. TofinoRPA.ca
Collectively we can hopefully keep a lid on any crazy tax and spend ideas the district may have.
Since the two former council running for the mayor's position were there to even allow the exploration of the Tribal Park tax, shows extremely poor taxation judgement and should eliminate them from being voted Mayor.
Dear Voter.
I know there is a lot of information out there for you to digest prior to voting for a new Mayor and Councillors. In the end it’s up to you to decide the vison of Tofino you want now and in the future.
If Tofino’s voters are happy with our current community direction, want to stay with the status quo, and are satisfied with the same old, same old, then I’m not the person for this role. If the community wants to start dealing with our immediate issues and moving the needle in the right direction, then I’m the person who will do just that.
In addition to a very strong work ethic, people describe me as having great decision-making abilities, integrity, and honesty, with a caring and passionate personality. I’m also a straightforward person that does not like to beat around the bush on action items that need to be dealt with in short order.
No disrespect to anyone, however the fact is that continuing to run Tofino the same way that it's been governed in the past is not sustainable.
From lack of development infrastructure to lack of water, we are bursting at the seams and we are running out of time. Which means we need a reality check, a multi-phase plan, and governance that is more action than talk.
I do applaud the acting Mayor and council on their decision not to move forward with the 13% water fee increase and the 1% ecosystem service fee that would be paid to the Tribal Parks Alliance, as it was a very controversial move. It is illegal to give taxpayer dollars to any third-party service provider unless there is a contract for service in place for operating the water services, which there was not. I am on the steering committee for the Tribal Parks Allies and their entire premise is to have some benefit from tourism revenues not taxpayer revenues.
While I’m not a politician, as this is my first time running for public office, what I am is an effective leader with board governance expertise and over 35 years of experience behind me. I’m in this Mayoral race to help get Tofino moving towards a brighter future as a strong, sustainable and resilient community.
Thank you for your time and support.
J.J. Belanger
------ Meanwhile, at the District Office, staff have been actively campaigning for McQuade and Law in an attempt to preserve the status quo. Vote Belanger! Vote for change and accountability.
Vote JJ!
He's correct about district staff actively campaigning for McQuade or Law. I've heard it first hand.
Momentum has shifted. It is a race between McQuade and Belanger. A vote for Law is effectively a vote for McQuade. Vote for real change.
That was a close call. We were just about to enter an introduction to anarchy; the divine right of politicians and their staff.
We have the ratepayers Association and some aware citizens to thank for paying attention to what's going on.
From here on its arm wrestling for the taxpayers to gain any control or oversight of the elected parties and some of the district staff.
Many taxpayers could care less what happens because they don't live here and they make a good income from a vacation rental or other income property.
But we do and as a taxpayer I'm not willing to pay for the staff and councillors to acquiesce to self-appointed unofficial groups by paying them protection money.
Some of the bizarre ideas or names describing the citizens of tofino et al are certainly revisionary and have no place in the settling of disagreement between various legitimate government bodies.
To have the extortion plan advanced as far as an official agenda item simply points out that it appears the district staff, administrator, and acting Mayor thought this was a great idea............ despite it being illegal.
It's obvious there's no control or proper steering of the village government and it has done whatever it feels like for quite a while now especially under our last mayor who knowingly violated various bylaws while she was mayor.
This has to stop. If not further anarchy is what were going to get.
It's sad to realize that the people we elected to monitor and control such things are failing, consistently, to do the job.
It shouldn't take the ratepayers and private citizens to keep district staff under control, that's Bob McPherson's job, supervised by mayor and council.
Sends out the message "You cannot trust your municipal government". Both Law and McQuade, although they're now resigned, were fully aware that this was happening (or they should have been aware, they were there) Obviously neither one of them are capable of taking control of the mess left behind by Osborne.
I've listened to the campaign jargon of both Law and McQuade. What I hear is the same drivel that I've heard spouted out by district staff, dressed up in new language. Lipstick on a pig. I'm not impressed.
I voted at the advance poll. For something different this time around. JJ Belanger for mayor!
JJ sites on an Board for the tribal parks allies. I disagree with the premise of money from the tourism sector given to an unaccountable group for no rational reason. I support the TFN I will not support the Allies until they fall under the authority of a legal Govt like the TFN and have financial transparency. A grant is the proper place for this type of expenditure if accounting is provided.
I have heard some on this blog say a vote for Dan Law is a vote Andrea not true either as Dan is the only member of council to question and vote against our past Mayor and her hard left goals. In closing JJ represents an offshore owner interests on a daily basis as does Britt. I trust neither. You must ask the real question people...why is this person running for office? You will seldom like the answers if they are truthful. I comes down to motives and I have seen much in Dan Laws life and experiences o led me to trust him. This is a big hole we have to dig ourselves out of and Dan is here for that task the others?
Yep, Dan's a nice guy. No doubt about that. He's a good man, a good parent, a good husband. He's a good and valuable member of the community.
If you want to buy a hand carved wooden crow, and have it shipped to you in Syria or Poland, Dan's the guy.
But, if you're looking for someone to clean up the mess that Josie left behind, Dan's not the guy. Dan's not tough enough to face down McPherson and the rest of our spoiled rotten staff. Dan's too immersed in the "politically correct" policies of the past and current administration, too afraid that he might hurt someone's feelings.
Veiled accusations of graft and alleged influence from business owners, against Mr. Belanger, are just that, veiled accusations from an anonymous voice, a coward who won't put his name to his claim.
There's no conspiracy, no nefarious plan to hijack Tofino.
Simply put, JJ is the best choice for a new mayor.
The only people I've seen JJ appeal to are on this blog. I've never heard a person voice support for him in real life. I don't see him as a contender at all.
I watched the debate and was surprised how many of JJ`s answers were directly benefitial to Crystal Cove and not considered from a community perspective. Beach fires, parking, sewage and water were all answered as if Crytal Cove was answering the question, not from a residential or community angle. Maybe I shouldn`t have been surprised, but I was.
So. JJ's perspective is somewhat based on his own personal experience. He speaks about the things that he's familiar with. Isn't that probably true of all the candidates?
Couldn't it be said that effectively dealing with Tofino's problems will undoubtedly be of benefit to Crystal Cove..... and EVERY other business and resident of Tofino also.
That's what we want.
1:32 PM. We must live in two different universes. I've talked to lots of different folks ..... and I'm overwhelmingly hearing support for JJ over the other two candidates.
The part that I find really interesting is the support for JJ that I'm hearing from the 20-50 year old demographic. And I'm hearing lots of it. This, of course, is the bulk of our electorate.
Really? You want the Mayor to worry about his job all the time instead of his community? Not me. Tell me how any employee is going to get major time off work to be Mayor, let alone be making bold decisions that could directly affect their employer.
I think it is a good thing that the mayor is capable of holding a real job.
Re 8:49 Well the last mayor didn't hold a job, Were you happy with that or is better to have someone who works and knows where the money goes?
OK 8:49. We'll get a mayor that doesn't live here, doesn't work here, doesn't own anything, doesn't operate a business, doesn't know anybody or have any friends, or ever do anything that might take away from a 24/7 commitment to the office of mayor. Then there won't be any possibility of the corruption and cronyism that you're so fu**ing worried about. Could you tell us, from your vast library of local knowledge, exact who you suggest would be a suitable candidate. Dan Law is entwined in this community in a hundred different ways already and everyone knows that Andrea may or may not be politically involved with God knows who, depending on the latest rumor..... so neither of the former councillors can be trusted, if one follows your logic of "if there's a chance to cheat, they will".
Or maybe it's possible that there's no one who measures up to your lofty ideals, and no one will get elected. We can just continue to be ruled by the aura of Josie, still there calling the shots, speaking down to us all, through the voice of Bob McPherson.
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