“Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.”
When Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote that famous line in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, he wasn’t writing about Saint John; however,with water on everyone’s mind, it’s a fitting line for Saint John’s number one priority – Clean, Safe, Drinking Water (at least on paper).
This past weekend, Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase wrote an article titled Turn down tap on water rates, which discussed potential ways to avoid “rate shocks” for those of us hooked up to the municipal water system.
In today’s Telegraph-Journal, there were more items on the subject of water.
First in the form of an editorial from the editorial titled Don’t blow out water rates. Below are some key snippets:
Council must offset the impact of this one-time strategic investment. Mr. Chase has suggested one way in which it could be done: by funding the water treatment plant through the city’s capital budget, rather than the water utility’s budget.
If council were to set aside capital projects with less priority, such as the police headquarters and parking garage proposed for Peel Plaza, it might even be possible to build the water treatment plant without raising the tax rate. This would meet two of council’s top policy objectives.
Mr. Chase’s proposal will probably be resisted, since council has shown little inclination to prioritize its spending. Perhaps the debate will begin in earnest when Paul Groody, the city’s commissioner of municipal operations, explains in detail what building the water network will cost.
Along with another article, Chase looking to cushion blow. Below are some key snippets:
The deputy mayor is scheduled to present a motion to common council tonight that asks city solicitor John Nugent to determine if provincial laws would allow the municipality to help cover the costs of its public water utility.
“We really have to exhaust all avenues to find a means to pay for this without creating a water rate that is just too unaffordable,” Chase said.
“We anticipate the federal and provincial governments will help us, they’ve helped us before, but even one third of the share is a huge cost to the city.”
The proposal would mean that property taxpayers would cover some of the costs of a new water system. To ensure the tax rate doesn’t increase, Chase said the city must cut down on major spending projects.
For example, the deputy mayor said the city could hold off on building a new police station, parking garage and public park in the city centre, a $42-million project known as Peel Plaza.
“You really have to consider your priorities and right now water is the number one priority.”
As discussed in the various articles above, the city must re-evaluate it’s priorities.
If water really is council’s top priority – then there is no reason to continue with Peel Plaza. We are better off taking the hit on what money has been spent so far instead of spending millions more.
Citizens in Saint John want clean, safe, drinking water – not a police station. That has been clean since day one.
I just hope that Council realizes it before it’s too late!
