Received your mailout today. It is very hard to make any kind of informed decision on the subject without any associated costs and increase in the mil rate. Please send some estimated numbers.

Examples for figures requested in this question included:

  • Cost to establish a municipal hall and staff it and its location
  • Cost of 6 councilors and mayor
  • Cost to establish a building department and staff it
  • Cost of a works yard and where it will be located
  • Cost of equipment for the municipality (trucks graders backhoes excavators shop personnel)
  • Where has the proposed municipality got property zoned for industries to establish to help the tax base 
  • What is the cost of road repair and rebuilding of existing poor roads
  • Police and associated costs
  • Costs of park maintenance
  • Management costs for the proposed municipality

Answer:

The mailout that was delivered to households in July 2021, was an introductory document designed to provide a high-level overview of the two governance options and an outline of the community engagement opportunities planned through October 2021.  The mailout was not intended to provide detailed cost data or comparisons to enable residents to choose between incorporation and the two electoral areas option. 

Detailed data and comparisons will be presented, however, in the coming weeks as part of the engagement phase of the Incorporation Study.  Indeed, many of the data and comparisons are available already to review in the various Service Sheets produced by the Committee as part of its comprehensive analysis on the options.  Each sheet features a particular type of local government service (e.g., local roads, police, planning & building, parks & recreation, administration), and presents estimates of staffing, facility, and equipment costs that would be incurred by a new municipality to provide the service.  All of the costs are brought together into the Multi-Year Budget for a new municipality, including the costs associated with six Councillors and one Mayor, and the costs to have a municipal hall.

View Service Sheets along with other information from the analysis.  At upcoming Open Houses, and in the comprehensive Overview mailout to be distributed in early October, cost information will be summarized for residents to review.

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1. If we incorporate, wouldn't we just be adding an extra level of bureaucracy and politicians?
2. If the report has not yet been completed and the meetings are ongoing why is the Regional District Director for Area C approaching businesses and organizations to discuss incorporation? Has the Commit
3. Will the public boat launches be improved and better maintained?
4. Can we confirm that there are "hundreds of acres of available non-[ALR] land within the incorporation boundary" for commercial development?
5. In the event of Incorporation, who specifically (by role), would be in the transition team until a new council is voted into office?
6. Received your mailout today. It is very hard to make any kind of informed decision on the subject without any associated costs and increase in the mil rate. Please send some estimated numbers.
7. I have questions about this flyer sent to us. Are there going to be more answers like how much our taxes will go up?
8. It is very expensive to bring in extra politicians and staff because of all the benefits and the pensions. I understand that politicians receive large pensions. I don't want to pay for those.
9. Are there any communities in BC that have incorporated, only to then decide to return to being unincorporated?
10. With incorporation, wouldn't all of our taxes increase to the point that we would be paying what people do in larger cities?
11. What can we say about demographics in the Incorporation Study Area?
12. This area has a very large retirement community. It would seem you have not taken this into consideration when establishing dates of mid-October for open houses and a possible referendum in late....
13. Why is the boundary for a new municipality different from the boundary for Area C1?
14. At one of the recent meetings it was stated that there would be information sheets outlining the pros and cons of both incorporation and the two-area default. Is that still being planned?
15. There seems to be confusion in the community about the status of referendum. The recent flyer says that the referendum will occur only if the committee recommends to CSRD. Could you clarify?
16. A large number of the higher valued and higher taxed properties in Sorrento (waterfront) are owned by seasonal residents. How are you going to ensure they are included in the determination vote?
17. According to an email that has circulated in Blind Bay there appears to be a meeting on August 18, 2021 at 6:30 at Dream Cycle. Can you confirm if the Committee has sanctioned this meeting?
18. Is there anything that the CSRD, members of the advisory committee or the consultants can do to address misinformation or even 'scare tactics'
19. How many Administration Support staff would be hired to support the Mayor and Council in a new Sorrento-Blind Bay Municipality?