Budget
Gibsons councillors have called a special meeting for April 24 to settle the final details of the 2017 budget.
At their April 18 committee of the whole meeting, councillors passed a recommendation to increase the business tax ratio to reduce the disparity in the tax burden caused by the big jump in residential property assessments in the town.
“I’ve been a strong advocate of reducing our business tax ratio, so it would pain me greatly to see it go up, but I see it as peculiar to this year because of the aberration in the assessments, and the impact on businesses will not be significant,” said Mayor Wayne Rowe.
The outstanding issues remaining are: whether to go with an overall tax increase of three per cent to bring in extra revenue to set aside for the annual cost of asset replacement (ACFAR), whether to borrow up to $2 million for capital projects and which projects to use that money for, and whether to hire a new staff member to handle communications.
RCMP update
Staff Sgt. Vishal Mathura delivered his quarter update to council April 18.
The Sunshine Coast RCMP detachment commander noted increases in two crime categories within the town: property crimes were up 23 per cent since the previous quarter, and calls related to violations of provincial statutes were up 67 per cent.
Mathura said the spike in property crimes was related to a rash of vehicle vandalism, and although RCMP are confident they’ve identified the suspects behind it, they don’t have the evidence to lay charges. He also said there’s been an increase in the number of shoplifting cases.
The big jump in provincial statute offences is tied to some issues with Sumac Place, Vancouver Coastal Health’s tertiary mental health care facility in Gibsons. Mathura told council that every time a patient leaves without permission, staff have to report it to RCMP, which leads to a warrant for the person’s arrest.
Mathura said police are working with the staff at Sumac Place on strategies to deal with the situation.
He also told councillors that after nearly two decades of waiting, Sunshine Coast RCMP have a new patrol boat. The $250,000 vessel has been delivered to the RCMP’s boat house in Gibsons Harbour, but it still needs a name. Mathura said they’re holding a naming contest for students at local elementary schools.
