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Letter: Mayor Wifried Vicktor sets record straight regarding council’s track record

Editor,
13802061_web1_180927-HSL-DistrictofHopeSign_1
District of Hope sign outside district hall. Hope Standard file photo

Editor,

Over the past four years, I have had the pleasure of working with an amazing council. I’ve worked with six people who have continually put forward and thought of the best interests of our community.

The letter to the editor from Bud Gardner last week calls this fact into question and now is probably a great time to set the record straight as to how the council has worked for the community.

As we are all aware, a small community has many fiscal challenges and this council has risen to the occasion to deal with these challenges and stretch our community dollars as far as possible.

We have been able to use a two per cent per year annual budget increase to service the needs of the district and make substantial infrastructure investments in our community including major paving projects, a newly refurbished sewage treatment plant and many other items, too numerous to list.

A newly devised asset management plan clearly outlines what we have to do in our community to prepare for the future, including how we have to invest in road maintenance and reconstruction of water and sewer systems, etcetera. This is a more detailed plan than has ever existed in this community before.

It is probably worthwhile to note as well that we have had a record couple of years for residential and commercial development in our community, creating more housing opportunities and employment possibilities with new businesses moving to our community.

On the subject of staffing, as brought up in last week’s letter, I have to say we have a great complement of hard-working men and women and they do their very best to maximize value for our taxpayer dollar.

The final phase in of our amalgamation which took place after Gardner was Mayor has been good in many ways for our community but has meant that we have had to pay for policing costs (pre-amalgamation at no cost) to the tune of over 2.26 million dollars per year and have taken over many aging roads, water and sewer systems. Maintaining, repairing and replacing these items is not inexpensive! Any person who promises to reduce taxes and still move the community forward is not being realistic in any way.

As a council we have identified many items to be addressed in the near future including a pedestrian and cycling pathway to Silver Creek (shelf-ready plans waiting), as well as road, sewage, and water system upgrades around the community.

Increasing housing for seniors as well as the developmentally delayed residents of the district has been prioritized.

Also coming soon will be the over 80 recently approved affordable housing units that will help our community in moving forward.

From the perspective of the Mayor’s seat, I have always tried to provide respect to the council and the public and I would like to publicly thank our council for the respect and professionalism that they have provided the community. We have on occasion disagreed on items but have decided on a path and collaborated on making the community a better place.

Given the silly behaviour we have all witnessed recently in politics around us, I applaud council for their class, maturity and focus on district matters.

Suggested in last week’s letter to the editor was a large change of council members. Routine changes are very useful on the subjects of underwear and oil changes but when it comes to political representation, change demands more thought.

I am hopeful that all voters in this upcoming election will look at the performance of all of the current elected officials and also look at the ideas and history of those running for council and make wise decisions because the future of our community is indeed at stake.

We will all have to make some hard decisions because not all of the talent from the 16 candidates that have let their names stand will be elected to our seven-member council.

I very much appreciate all the contributions that Gardner has made in the past as a former mayor, but I thought it was very important to clarify the facts and recognize the work that my fellow council members have contributed to the community.

It will be an exciting election indeed and it is my hope that whatever the outcome of the election that the respect and fiscal responsibility that has been demonstrated by this council will continue in the next term of office.

Sincerely,

Wilfried Vicktor