"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Sunday 30 October 2016

POLLY PUT THE KETTLE ON

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "TAUT LIKE A WIRE": 

The 1%ers at SAC begged off paying the development charges on their new arena, but can purchase Willow Farm!?! The new section of trail better be protected for residents' use! 

Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 30 October 2016 at 21:12

************************************

An announcement in The Auroran reported  an appointment at St Andrew's College recently. It was noted the individual  had recently overseen $46 million of development at the college.

Successful lobbying at Aurora Council to forfeit Development Charges on the development was
likely a key point in favour of the appointment. 

As I read, I realised the cost to Aurora taxpayers was never revealed. 

In a letter to the editor last week,the Mayor outlined rigor observed by Council in decision making . 

He noted expert advice from staff is part of the process.

But that's not true. 

No advice was offered by  the Chief Financial Officer on the college boon-doggle. A delegate appeared at council. He asked and they received. With barely a quibble from the previous council. 

When York Region Separate School Board  built St Maximillian Kolbe High School on Wellington Street,
they  had to appeal to the OMB ,to have an inflated property evaluation corrected In order to reduce the Development Charge. The Board was successful. 

Lawyers were employed by town and school board at cost of the same taxpayers. Hearing  was also 
at public expense of course. 

We discovered then Aurora was the only town in the Region that required a public body to 
collect from taxpayers to pay taxes to the same base to cover development charges but we did 
not learn any of that from the expert advisor. 

If St Andrew's has purchased Willow Farm property,further development is likely planned. No 
doubt with full confidence the same friends on council will once again gift them the cost of development charges.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I would argue that having schools of any kind - public or private - paying development charges is wrong.

How does the building of an arena on a school property generate an increased drain on Town resources that require DCs to be collected and then used?

Towns and Cities are so dependant on DCs that when they are not available, they get all bent out of shape.