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Letter: Referendum would have been cheaper

Expensive is in the eye of the beholder
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Penticton Western News letters to the editor.

Referendum would

have been cheaper

This is a major item. As it would be for any size town.

I would like to make reference to Bradley J. Cooper’s letter (Penticton Western News, June 9, Referendums not a solution). Expensive is in the eye of the beholder. A referendum on the issue of a major, major, major change to Skaha Park would have been a lot cheaper (about $25,000) versus the city lawyer’s fees, city staff and the outside sourcing by the city doing an inventory of the parks by Urban Systems and an engagement officer that is now costing $400,000-plus.

With calculator in my hand, in my book $25,000 is substantially less than $400,000. And the city keeps on spending like it’s an unending piggy bank.

This is a major change that this city council is planning to push through for no good reason.

I refer you back to a referendum we had on parks in 2002, that was subsequently ignored by all the city staff and council, and a new bylaw inserted (after the fact), and up to the present mayor and council — no foresight.

Then the city backing Trio to get a liquor license, after they operated for two years without one, or for that matter a restaurant license. Were they admonished? Fined? No! The list keeps going.

You have to start wondering what’s in it for these people, businesses and groups?

Trust and honesty has gone out the door.

Georges and Cheryl Jansen

Penticton