Monday, March 23, 2015

Press Conference - Concerned Citizens of Thunder Bay March 23 2015


 
 
Good Morning,

1.  Second  phase of Golf Links Road being debentured for approx. 8 million dollars.  This could have come out of the TB Renew fund instead of directing all of the 23 million in this fund towards the proposed Event Centre.

2. The average homeowner is looking at an extra $114 dollars on their water bill to cover infrastructure upgrades.  A  report prepared for city council say Thunder Bay must spend about $170 million over 2 decades on capital projects plus another $10 million in the next 5 years for new storm sewers.

The report says increasing the surcharge would allow the city to stop using debt for large sewer projects.

A Thunder Bay sewer rate surcharge may spike to help replace pipes.

It is beyond me how we can rob the gas tax fund over the next 10 years of about $21 million dollars  to help  pay for a proposed Event Centre when our infrastructure is crumbling and taxpayers have been stretched to the limit. 

3.  Mr. Commisso states in his funding report that the city should receive $9.5 million for naming rights and private sector funding.  The average arena in the OHA is about $1.5 for naming rights that is paid over a 10 year period. 

Do you recall that the skateboard park at the  Marina was going to raise $100,000 to help offset the cost of the $1 million dollar skateboard park?  They were going to sell bricks with the sponsors name being recognized.  You can go see just how many donators they got. There is a pathetic little  wall with a few names.  They sure and hell didn't raise anywhere close to $100,000 dollars. 

4. Interesting to see the taxpayers are going to be on the hook to pay for the relocation of the Hydro Sub Station should the proposed Event Centre move ahead.  Thunder Bay Hydro plans to ask the Ont. Energy board to approve a fee increase from city taxpayers to cover this expense. 

Anyway the list goes on and on as city hall continues to increase the city debt, taxes, waterbills and as they cut many of the services they shouldn't be. 

Ray

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