Almost 7,000 opposition forms from electors across Nanaimo have been submitted to the city telling council they aren’t in favor of borrowing $90 million for a new public works yard.
Ten per cent of the electorate needed to have their opposition forms in by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday if they were opposed to the city borrowing the money for the facility, which has already had two attempts to gain favor.
CON Oversight organizer Noni Bartlett says they’ve pounded the pavement to get as many forms into the city as they can through education and awareness, but ultimately it’s still up to residents.
She adds even though the last two AAP’s were squashed, the last round turned in thousands of forms submitted to the city.
“When we had that small AAP in January the city admitted to having one or 2,000 forms in,” she says. “I think they would have a hard time saying they didn’t have a few hundred, so it’s looking very good.”
According to Bartlett, the city would need a total of 7,974 (10 per cent of the electorate) and by her best guess is she expects they’ve already met and exceeded the threshold.
“I think the citizens of the city have broken the threshold with roughly 10,000 forms,” she says. “We’re not exactly sure, but if we take numbers from the last AAP the city had, then we just have to do the math.
“I can’t imagine the city telling us, at this point, that we didn’t make the threshold when we are turning in close to 7,000.”
One point of contention, according to Bartlett, was a comment made by mayor Leonard Krog saying, ‘for those of you who are thinking of signing a form, or voting in opposition, do not do so,’ she says this could appear to be bias and sway votes in the AAP.
Krog stood fast on his comment and defended it by saying the city needs the project and of course he will make sure the project gets all the support it needs, because the works yard isn’t just for city staff but also for the residents of Nanaimo.
“Council voted to use the AAP process because we believe this is an absolutely necessary use of public funds, and it’s in the public interest to have the facility built,” he says. “Of course I would prefer people not sign a form and not oppose it.
“I want to see this facility built, the people who work in it want to see it built, and the people concerned about the maintenance of our public infrastructure want to see it built.”
Krog says support is unwavering from the city and council the way the proposal stands, and this deal is as good as it gets.
“I support building the public works yard, as proposed, with the budget that’s proposed which allows for a great deal of contingencies,” he says. “This means we probably won’t have to spend $90 million.”
He says the comment wasn’t made to sway voters, but rather to voice his opinion and interest in making sure Nanaimo residents are serviced in the best way they can be.
“This is a democracy, and we are the elected representatives of this city, and it’s our job to govern the best interests of all citizens,” he says. “Of course we have a position on this, we’re politicians, but to be criticized for taking a position, in favor, on what I believe is in the public interest is certainly something I am prepared to defend.”
Krog says if the city votes in opposition and 10 per cent of the electorate says they’re not in favor of the plan then the city will look at other ways of raising the funds to get the structure built, including a referendum.
“If the number is reached by legitimate means, then council will have to make a decision to fund this project another way, or abandon the project, or take it to a full referendum” Krog says. “A referendum could cost the citizens of Nanaimo upwards of $300,000, at a minimum.”
Krog says the final vote will take place once all ballots have been confirmed and checked to make sure everyone on the ballot meets the criteria outlined by the province.
