Gas Tax Rip-Off
At the May 30 Regional Board Meeting the RDCO Board proved again that procedural fairness and integrity are not employed where Electoral Area governance is concerned. Three items were introduced 7.1 The Gas Tax Distribution List , 7.2 Gas Tax Project List & 7.3 Gas Tax Budget Amendment authorizing and funding 7.2 the Projects List. I requested a deferment to allow me to read this newly produced document, the Gas Tax Distribution List. DENIED!!! I requested this list six months ago and it was provided two days prior to this meeting! Members from Kelowna and West Kelowna felt that a deferment to the next scheduled meeting was unreasonable. Thank-you Lake Country band Peachland for you support. A pox on the rest of you. This is not democracy smells more like tyranny to me.
Just to add a little bit of disrespect to the process it appears like I was amongst the last to see the Gas Tax Distribution List of project identification and funding over the previous eight years. This was a list that I requested months ago. Staff and management clearly had considerable time to create the projects list and budget amendment documents, essentially spending the bulk of the EA West funding, without my involvement or knowledge. This is an extremely disrespectful action toward both myself and the constituents of Central Okanagan West that I was elected to represent. This is our money not RDCO’s. If these actions are legal (and I have serious doubts on that) they are at the very least devoid of ethics and morality.
I will be examining the funding information as soon as time allows and will update residents on this funding history. From initial appearances it looks like the Regional District water systems (Killiney Beach, Westshores & Valley of the Sun / Upper Fintry) have received the overwhelming percentage of funds disbursed.
Vernon Morning Star article on Board Decision
http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/news/381683541.html
Board Audio of May 30 Meeting
http://www.regionaldistrict.com/media/203261/Audio_16_05_30brd.mp3