By ROY WOOD

 

Oliver council put the finishing touches on some if its Covid-19 relief proposals this afternoon, but not without a 45-minute procedural wrangle over one councillor’s objection to a key aspect.

Councillors – meeting remotely from their homes or work via computer link-up – unanimously passed revisions to the town’s financial plan bylaw that will eliminate this year’s planned nine-per-cent property tax increase. 

Chief financial officer Doug Leahy said the resulting $100,000 shortfall will be met with a reduction in planned transfers to reserve accounts.

Another part of the relief package — reductions in water user fees – was much more contentious. 

At an in-camera meeting on April 6, council agreed to eliminate the planned four-per-cent water utility increase for 2020. As well, it was agreed to use funds from reserve accounts to allow for a 50-per-cent reduction in water use fees for the first quarter of the year.

Water Councillor Rick Machial agreed to the first part, but objected strongly to the first-quarter reduction, calling it unnecessary. Taking the funds from capital reserves would jeopardize future capital projects or cause hardship for taxpayers in the future, he said.  

“I don’t know why we would want to burden future taxpayers,” he said. “It’s going to be difficult for taxpayers going forward.”

Machial asked for the bylaw amendment to split in two, but was told that wasn’t possible. So, he appeared satisfied with voting against the motion with a note in the minutes that he supported the first part, but not the second. The vote passed six-to-one to approve three readings plus adoption of the bylaw.   

After moving on to the next agenda item, chief administrative officer Cathy Cowan pulled council back, telling them the water fee vote was not valid because the vote wasn’t unanimous. 

Procedural discussion went on and on, at one point prompting Councillor Larry Schwartzenberger to say: “This is stupid, if you ask me.”

Machial immediately took offence: “He’s saying that I’m stupid.”  

Schwartzenberger assured him that he was referring to the process. “I’m not saying that (Machial’s) views are not valid.”

One of the results of the split vote, said Cowan, would be a delay of possibly months before utility bills could be sent out because the province would need to become involved.

As the bylaw was being reconsidered, Councillor Aimee Grice pleaded with Machial: “It would be great if you could vote in favour.”

Finally, he did vote in favour of the amendment, providing the unanimity necessary to avoid provincial involvement and possible delays.  

In a telephone interview later, Machial said the procedural difficulties could have been avoided if the administration had come to the meeting better prepared. “They knew where I stood,” he told ODN.

“In the end, I relented. But I made my point,” he said.

He reiterated that the decision to give the 50-per-cent first-quarter reduction will end up costing the reserve fund over $200,000. That, he said, will lead to 10-per-cent increases in water rates. “10 per cent is a lot to a farmer.”

Machial also made the point during the discussion that at least part of the April 6 in-camera meeting should have been open. 

Cowan told him that since some of the discussion involved labour issues it was appropriate for it to be closed.

“There should have been a public part,” said the water councillor. “I don’t remember budget discussions ever being in-camera.”