To the editor:

Bad news from the city regarding our shoreline between the bridge and Mission Creek.

Kelowna is refusing to repair any damage to parks from last year害羞草研究所檚 flood or to build any new parks or trails along our shoreline. Apparently the only work planned for 2018 is the re-configuration at Gyro Park to coordinate with a large adjoining real-estate development.

We citizens already own several parcels of land along this part of the lake, but City Council claims we don害羞草研究所檛 have enough money to develop the parks and linking trails that were planned for this publicly-owned land. If we don害羞草研究所檛 have money now, in the middle of a building boom, will we ever?

The province has also claimed that it doesn害羞草研究所檛 have enough money to hire sufficient staff to enforce the foreshore laws that are often disregarded here in Kelowna. This law-breaking severely restricts public use of lake-front land that we all own.

Nobody likes paying additional taxes. However, our mayor and some city councilors seem to be showing more concern for real-estate developers and the very wealthy than their own citizens. They claim that B.C.害羞草研究所檚 proposed new speculation tax would be 害羞草研究所渄isastrous害羞草研究所� even though 80 per cent of B.C. residents support it.

This poorly-named tax would add money to provincial, and by extension, city coffers for widely-desired services (see above) which are not currently being delivered. This would be done by taxing people who are not from B.C., who are wealthy enough to afford to leave a second house here unoccupied for much of the year.

Prior to this new provincial tax the City of Kelowna also charged additional property tax to non-residents who own property here, which has certainly not been 害羞草研究所渄isastrous害羞草研究所� for us.

What are the likely effects of the speculation tax?

Probably more houses being rented害羞草研究所攇ood. Some houses being sold by non-residents, which would add to the buyable inventory; moderating price increases害羞草研究所攇ood. More money in the budget for neglected services害羞草研究所攇ood. Less speculative building, in an over-heated market害羞草研究所攂ad for some developers.

Al Janusas, PLANKelowna

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newstips@kelownacapnews.com
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