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LETTER: 19% tax increase for Beaver Creek too high, says resident

Writer objects to increased funding for emergency planning in ACRD
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To the Editor,

A property tax increase of 19 percent for Beaver Creek electoral area “E” in 2022, given the extreme inflationary times we are in now is obscene. Emergency planning is a money pit. Why do we need emergency planning in Beaver Creek? How is the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District going to help us in a flood or an earthquake? With our small tax base and limited industry in Beaver Creek, we can’t afford emergency planning. Can we afford to have emergency planning staff waiting around for a once-in-a-100-years earthquake, or a flood that most in Beaver Creek don’t have to worry about?

The City of Port Alberni maintains and builds roads, sewers, water, multiple parks, recreation facilities, fire departments, etc, and still kept their tax increase to around seven percent. Our major services that affect us directly are water, fire, bylaw enforcement, planning, airport, which has never had scheduled service, which everyone pays for, and emergency planning that does nothing in an emergency, and can’t even provide sandbags, if there was a flood. When has anyone in Beaver Creek ever gotten sandbags from the regional district?

Never has Beaver Creek been subjected to a 19 percent increase in property taxes. And given food costs increasing more than seven percent and gas approaching almost $2.00 a litre, how could the regional district even contemplate a 19 percent increase at this time, or any time for that matter? Very soon, we in the rural areas will be paying as much as those in the city for far fewer services. In my view we are already there.

Tom Gowan,

Beaver Creek

(Editor’s note: Sandbags have been offered during heavy storm periods at the Beaver Creek Firehall, 6038 Beaver Creek Road.)