Voters in the Alberni Valley will have until the end of the day on Aug. 5 to register their disapproval of the regional district’s $6 million airport expansion project.
Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District directors voted to go forward with the alternate approval process to secure voter assent for up to $6 million in funding needed to fund a proposed runway extension.
The ACRD has proposed extending the runway by 1,000 feet in length to the east for a total of 5,000 feet and 25 feet in width for a total of 100 feet.
According to the ACRD, the extension will allow heavier, bigger aircraft to land at the airport.
While ACRD CAO Russel Dyson said while multiple grants have been applied for in an attempt to soften the taxpayer burden, having funding secure on the ACRD’s end would strengthen the grant applications.
If the maximum $6 million amount is borrowed, it will be repaid over a 30-year period. Over those 30 years, the average $200,000 Alberni Valley home will pay an extra $16.80 annually in taxes.
The ACRD’s annual tax requisition is also set to go up to allow for the borrowing, from $50,000 to $150,000 annually.
Cherry Creek, Beaver Creek, Beaufort, Sproat Lake and Port Alberni residents or those who own property in those regions can oppose the $6 million ask by filling out a form at the ACRD office at 3008 Fifth Ave. The form may be filled out Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. until the end of the day on Aug. 5. If 10 per cent of the Alberni Valley’s 20,504 eligible voters oppose the borrowing, the ACRD must go to full referendum to proceed.
Anyone with any questions can call the regional district office at 250-720-2700.
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