Though the Town of Barrhead will give residents a chance to vote on Barrhead’s new proposed aquatic centre Oct. 21, the County of Barrhead has yet to allow its residents to vote on the issue.
At county council’s regular meeting Oct. 8, councillors agreed it was important to publicize why the County has not yet participated in the plebiscite.
After facing many questions and concerns at the pool open house Oct. 3, coun. Doug Drozd said he felt it would be helpful for residents of both the town and county understand what county council’s position is.
“Truthfully I think we are being the responsible ones trying to be sure that all the facts and information are out there first before it gets too late in the season and the people have to make a judgment and vote on the plebiscite without being fully informed,” said Drozd.
Putting out what a new aquatic centre would cost per resident is not something County manager Mark Oberg believes council is ready for at this point.
“As of right now at the open house there was not one plan, but three,” said Oberg. “Three plans with three different costs. Even right now we don’t know what the cost is going to be.”
Reeve Bill Lee added he doesn’t want to see council giving hypothetical numbers that can’t be backed up, and there is a long list of unanswered questions.
“We haven’t made the decision on how we’re going to tax, we haven’t made the decision on how much money we’re going to borrow,” said Lee. “Until you make those decisions, you can’t say what it’s going to cost.”
To ask residents about borrowing money without knowing the cost of the pool is not right, agreed coun. Darrell Troock, who receives calls every night from residents questioning why the county is not putting into the pool.
“I’m not writing a blank cheque for a committee to build the pool,” said Troock. “I wouldn’t do it to anyone personally, I never did it in business, and I’m not going to ask my neighbours to give me the OK on their tax bill for the next 20 years without knowing how much it is.”
Troock added council works hard to keep residents’ tax dollars increasing such a minimal amount that no one feels it. The increase that will come with the construction of a new pool however will be a hit the community will feel.
“People put us in here to look after their best interest and I’m not going to ask for them to vote for something unless they know all the facts,” he said. “I’m not going to tell my residents to sign on something that they don’t know anything about yet.”
Lee said the pool is also a project that needs to be funded separately, or else other important projects such as road improvements won’t happen.
There are numerous things that will be coming before county council in the next 10 years that council needs to have funds for, added Troock.
“We are not a council against the pool. I don’t want that message to get out there that we’re trying to stop it. We’re not,” said Troock. “I don’t think anyone here doesn’t want a pool. We all want a pool for our community. It’s just a matter of we’ve got to be able to afford it, plain and simple.”
County council will make a plebiscite available to county residents sometime late this year or early 2014.
