Fewer than a dozen residents turning up to talk to 20 district staff members, including several department directors, and six councillors - Coun. Bryan Raiser was absent - at a café style budget meeting at the Squamish Senior Centre Wednesday (March 17).
With district representatives outnumbering locals two to one, individuals were able to get plenty of one-on-one time for answers to their questions.
Long-time Squamish resident Astrid Andersen had plenty of questions ranging from concerns with the user group monopoly of certain community facilities to the district's financial decisions.
"I asked [Coun.] Rob Kirkham what can we do about the bottomless pit of the Adventure Centre," Andersen, a resident of Squamish since 1962, told The Chief.
"He did say Tourism Squamish will now be getting the hotel tax. That will go to tourism Squamish because right now you and I, the taxpayer, are paying for Tourism Squamish."
Andersen also expressed her general concern over the district's willingness to borrow money.
"I fear as a taxpayer we keep borrowing money and there's interest on money and the money you borrowed is also owed back to the bank. We can't keep doing that."
Coun. Doug Race sat at a nearby table alongside acting engineering manager Brian Barnett answering residents' questions about where taxpayer money was going. He said he spoke at length about the Official Community Plan, the zoning bylaw update and the solid waste management plan.
With the café style portion of the meeting complete Gardner kicked off a group discussion by asking if a 3.6 per cent increase seemed reasonable to the residents present.
Andersen said she thought the proposed 3.6 per cent residential tax increase was reasonable if council "is spending the money with common sense."
Long time resident Denise Imbeau said she feels the increase is something that she "can live with."
Overall attending members of the public agreed a 3.6 per cent residential tax hike was reasonable, although one resident urged the district to consider investing funds to increase revenue rather than increase property taxes.
Squamish resident Eric Andersen asked council what they are doing to stimulate the local economy, to which Gardner responded the district has ensured commercial taxes are lower than the significantly higher residential tax rate.
One resident pressed Gardner to outline what the district is specifically doing to capitalize on the momentum and exposure from the Olympic Games.
Gardner said staff is working hard to pursue economic development opportunities with various key sectors including the transportation, tourism and education industry.
"Since the Olympics, we're seeing lots of interest in Squamish," Gardner said.
Gardner could not elaborate on details other than saying an as-yet undated International Ski Federation Work Cup is scheduled to be held in Squamish.
Anyone wishing to add input into the 2010 municipal budget can do so through an online survey at http://squamish.ca/. To date the online survey has received 83 responses but submissions will be accepted until Tuesday March 30.
