Spoke with a local elected politician. Suggested that the only proper way to address the approval of the new cop shop was by a proper referendum put to the electorate.
The response was that there would be no end of complaints about spending $60,000 to ask the question. One tenth of one per cent is hardly an amount to quibble over when you are proposing to spend $50 million.
The Alternative Approval Process is being used again as a method to push through an expenditure that would otherwise be refused by the electorate. If an expenditure cannot gain approval through referendum it should not be made.
This outrageous expense for a regional cop shop is beyond contempt. Do the RCMP need new facilities? Certainly. Do they need an administrative palace — no way.
The old Canadian Tire would have served well and the currently available ex-Rona facility could be converted for a fraction of funds requested. The electors of North Cowichan should not be expected to pay for this wildly excessive facility and our elected officials should be roundly chastised for this ridiculous expense. Both the Municipality of North Cowichan and the Cowichan Valley Regional District should be forbidden to use the AAP process again.
Get or download the elector response form from North Cowichan and get it in before July 14 and prevent this travesty.
Ross Grant,
Crofton