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How much for that fire hall? Our municipal government is like others in that its budget sets aside money for capital construction separately from those funds it earmarks for operating expenses.

How much for that fire hall?

Our municipal government is like others in that its budget sets aside money for capital construction separately from those funds it earmarks for operating expenses. This division of money has always concerned me because I believe it allows for less scrutiny of the incredible costs of constructing public buildings. Last week’s council meeting showed the importance of examining the efficient use of all public funds, no matter how they are designated.

On Monday we learned that the capital budget for the three-bay fire hall at Spring Creek is $1.7 million. Knowing that the land cost is already covered and assuming a hall of 5,500 square feet, a taxpayer like myself must wonder how it could be $310 a square foot for something approximating a large garage. I would question why construction alone can cost even as much as $1.1 million ($200 a square foot). Did anyone think to ask Squamish what they spent on their new hall?

Outside the notion that things constructed in Whistler must always cost more than everywhere else, we must also understand some of the other reasons for part of this $600,000 differential. Public safety, employee satisfaction, the principles of "The Natural Step" and the "world class" appearance of "neighbourhood gateways" are all important considerations. There is no doubt that the costs of all public building must be considered with the longest term view. Nonetheless we seem to be letting these important ideals cloud our understanding of what things should really cost.

We also seem to be forgetting to ask if the money used pursuing such ideals might be used better elsewhere. At this same council meeting the Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association demonstrated the value of a community group receiving a small fraction of tax expenditures. WORCA showed that $8,000 can have an incredibly positive impact on services to both residents and tourists alike. We also learned that the museum needed half their $40,000 grant early this year. There are probably at least a dozen more community groups, equally successful and equally starved for funds.

It is reasonable to suggest that public funding through property taxes and development charges are not going to continue to increase as they once did and we must learn to set priorities now. I would hope that in the future council uses great care when allocating funds toward these expensive buildings. Perhaps it would help them if they contemplated that $600,000 represents enough museum and WORCA grants to reach the year 2015.

Dave Davenport

Whistler

Thank you for your recent editorial and extensive coverage on the municipality’s five year financial plan. However, I must point out that skyrocketing property assessments have absolutely no impact on the amount of revenue collected from property taxes. It is the mill rate which is set each year by the municipality that determines how much the Whistler residential property owners will pay in property taxes. New development being added to the tax rolls each year should allow property taxes to decrease. However, the municipality has followed the policy over the last four years of increasing the property taxes paid by the average homeowner by the increase in the Vancouver consumer price index plus 1 per cent for RCMP costs. This has allowed the municipality to increase expenditures at a greater rate than the cost of inflation. This, in itself, is not bad as long as the taxpayers receive value for the expenditures made.

With regard to school taxes, increased assessments in School District No. 48 should not result in increased school taxes as the mill rate is set by the school board and the assessed values are the method by which school taxes are allocated among all property owners within the school district. However, the skyrocketing property assessments within Whistler are probably resulting in the Whistler property owner paying a disproportionate share of the school tax burden and therefore, indirectly, subsidizing all other property owners in School District No. 48, and possibly the provincial government through the complex school funding formula.

Possibly Pique could do an in-depth review of how the burden of school taxes is spread among the property owners in School District No. 48. It wouldn’t surprise me to find that Whistler property owners are probably paying 90 per cent of the school taxes with only 15 per cent of the students.

Gary McDonnell, C.A.

North Vancouver

If you can’t beat ’em on the slopes…

The decision to publish the letter from a Ms. Linda M McGaw in your Jan. 4 th issue was a rare lapse of judgement on your behalf. Ms. McGaw suceeded in insulting in one broad sweep every European ski school and every European ski instructor that ever existed.

As a European, I have nothing but great memories of my time in European ski schools. Ms McGaw, by the sound of her letter, appears to have never been anywhere near a European resort and such is her ignorance, she claims that to be in one, a student will be exposed to "instructors who smoke through every chairlift ride, disparage their clients' skiing ability to the point of tears, abandon beginners at the top of the T-bar at the stroke of clocking off time, and still teach their clients the 'feet glued together and rotate' style popular at the time of wooden skis and leather boots."

Now come on, this type of vicious attack is preposterous! How come (and we will see shortly) it will be the Europeans who will dominate the skiing events at the Olympics?

To attack Mr. Hallo over his proposed Alpina Ski School just because she has a prejudice against Europeans is really low, and should not be tolerated.

As a Canadian (thank you Canada for having me), I know why so many Europeans (and Britain is European) come here to ski. Our mountains are fantastic, resorts are excellent, and above all our dollar makes the whole experience totally affordable.

As for having a European style ski school in Whistler-Blackcomb, what a great idea!

I certainly would be quite nervous of seeing a Canadian ski instructor like Ms. McGaw chasing Mr. Hallo down the slopes trying to get "a well-aimed punch to the nose". Some instructor she must be!

Please take such hostilities off the ski slopes and put them on to the ice rink where we can all enjoy them.

Tom Gow

Vancouver

Film Fest Raises $5,000 for Environmental Fund

Thank you to all in attendance at the Telluride Mountainfilm Festival last Wednesday night (Jan. 16) at MY Place. This was the first time that Mountainfilm visited Whistler. Organizers were pleasantly surprised when both shows sold out. Next year they will be back with an expanded program spanning three evenings.

Special thanks to Jeff Hauser of the Raynier Foundation and Rick Silverman of Telluride Mountainfilm. The Raynier Foundation was responsible for bringing the festival to Whistler and donating proceeds from ticket sales to the Whistler-Blackcomb Foundation Environmental Fund. The event raised $5,000 for environmental projects in the community.

We are grateful to the community for supporting the event and the Fund. It is our hope to have over $10,000 available for environmental projects in the summer of 2002. Anyone interested in submitting proposals for funding can do so by contacting Allana at 604-938-7283 before May 1, 2002.

We look forward to seeing you all at Mountainfilm next year.

Allana Hamm

Environmental Co-ordinator

Whistler-Blackcomb