I read with some shock the letter written by former Councillor and Mayoral candidate Erik Eriksson exposing our Mayor and Council's decision to fund the 6th Street Bridge with $ 6.1 million of long term debt without any electorate approval by deeming it an "Approval Free Zone" under Part 2, Section 7 of the Municipal Liabilities Regulation.
The biggest issues facing most people in the Comox Valley are housing and food security, a.k.a affordability. Hello? Anybody home at City Hall? Hello?
In the same issue of the Record the Comox Valley Food Bank is quoted as noting: "With 110 new clients signing up each month, we're facing a perfect storm of Inflation, Poverty and Food Insecurity"
So, Mayor and Council, faced with a food and housing affordability crisis believe the best move is to debt us all up with an $11 million bridge. Let's just guess what is going to happen with property tax for the next few decades.
Wow. I guess the homeless can sleep under it and the hungry can panhandle users of the bridge?
Lets rename this thing and call it what it really is. I propose the following, but I'm hoping others can be more creative than I:
"The Mayor Bob Wells Vanity Project Bridge"
"The Lets just debt up when there's an affordability crisis bridge"
"The Mayor Bob Wells tone deaf bridge"
Mike Grinsell
Comox Valley
