Dear Editor,
The people of Barrhead and Barrhead County need take warning from the article titled “ Curling Club Appeals for Funds”, page 28A of April 15, 2014’s Leader; and ask how the proposed 15 million dollar swimming pool going to manage its costs because the need for more money is destined to be its fate.
The people of Barrhead and its county seem to agree that we do not need a pool equivalent to those of Millennium Place in Sherwood Park or the Tri Leisure Centre in Spruce Grove. However, upon examining the costs associated with these two sites it becomes evident that Barrhead’s pool will cost 300% more than it cost the people of these municipalities. The centers opened to the public in 2001 and 2002 respectively. During this time, the population of their municipalities encompassed 71,986 in Strathcona and 52,824 in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, and Parkland County. (Which are the three municipalities that have representatives on the Tri Leisure Center’s board of directors.) The two sites each totaled 28 million dollars to build. Doing plain math and dividing the costs evenly per person it amounts to $388 in Strathcona and $530 in Parkland. Both centers boast a pool, a gymnasium, soccer fields, ice rinks, youth programs and food vendors. Millennium Place reports 2.5 million visitors per year; the Tri Leisure Center boasts 5,500 monthly memberships currently being held. They are both success stories.
Now let’s examine what Barrhead has dreamed up at the taxpayers expense. The new pool is stated to be costing 15 million dollars which is more of an estimate than a guarantee. The county has agreed to borrow, instead of using monies from their 11 million dollar hoard, 5 million dollars for the new pool. There were 6,096 people in Barrhead county as per May 2011 census. Doing plain math again this amounts to $820 per person. The county’s contribution appears to end there, as for many of the pools discussions they have been absent or silent. No promises have been made to assist with the costs to run and maintain the new pool.
Woodland’s county is reported to be contributing 1.5 million dollars. This leaves 8.5 million dollars for the 4,432 residents of the town to shoulder. That is $1,918/person. A difference of $1,530 and $1,388 when comparing to Strathcona and Parkland counties. By these numbers alone it is evident that we are paying an exorbitant amount for just a pool.
People in the county can count on their taxes increasing for the next 20 years, after a closed loan is withdrawn to fund their 5 million dollar contribution. For the town the contributions from taxpayers are not just greater, they are open ended. The hardest hit with the increased taxes, will be small businesses, some with property values assessed in the millions. It is a guarantee that their additional expenditures will be passed onto the taxpayer. It is also evident that astronomical taxes will not attract new businesses to view Barrhead as a place to set up shop, thus stifling growth.
Although I 100% support the idea of having a pool in Barrhead there are definite issues that need be examined so a new pool doesn’t have the same fate as our existing pool. Have we asked why was the original pool allowed to deteriorate into a state of disrepair? People need recognize that there is more than one way to kill a town. High taxes and a deficit from a pool that will mount each year is one sure way to drown growth. A pool can not function independently; fees needed to run and maintain the new pool have to be assessed before breaking ground. If we as a population do not speak up and donate some time and effort into the finalization of plans for a new pool I am certain it will end up like our existing pool, which is more worthless than a horse bath. As for the curling rink and their pleas for increased funding … the town is considering their request and as usual the county is silent.
Melissa Ouellette
References:
http://municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/documents/msb/2012_pop.pdf ]http://municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/documents/msb/2012_pop.pdf
http://www.sherwoodparknews.com/2011/03/24/millennium-place-turns-10
http://www.sherwoodparknews.com/2011/03/24/millennium-place-turns-10
http://www.trileisure.com/uploads/012711_Nc25Xh6tj6RzFVyn_190256.pdf
http://www.trileisure.com/uploads/012711_Nc25Xh6tj6RzFVyn_190256.pdf
http://www.assembly.ab.ca/lao/library/egovdocs/alma/2002/78622_02.pdf
http://www.assembly.ab.ca/lao/library/egovdocs/alma/2002/78622_02.pdf
http://www.city-data.com/canada/Barrhead-Town.html
http://www.city-data.com/canada/Barrhead-Town.html
http://www.sprucegrove.org/Assets/pdf/reports/trade_area_profile.pdf
http://www.sprucegrove.org/Assets/pdf/reports/trade_area_profile.pdf
https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-csd-eng.cfm?LANG=Eng&GK=CSD&GC=4811048
https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-csd-eng.cfm?LANG=Eng&gk=CSD&gc=4811048
http://www.strathcona.ca/files/files/at-fcs-_final-2012-social-profile-january-14_2013.pdf
http://www.strathcona.ca/files/files/at-fcs-_final-2012-social-profile-january-14_2013.pdf
http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-csd-eng.cfm?LANG=Eng&GK=CSD&GC=4813018
http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-csd-eng.cfm?LANG=Eng&gk=CSD&gc=4813018
