UNION BAY, B.C- Ted Haraldson has accepted a clarification from the Comox Valley Regional District.
Haraldson, who is the newly-elected chairperson for the Union Bay Improvement District trustee board, was faced with questions from his fellow trustee Susanna Kaljur in recent weeks, centred on a claim Haraldson had made in writing during his campaign.
“Joining the CVRD would mean our additional CEC [Capital Expenditure Charges] credits (connection fees) created by our new development would NOT stay within our community,” read part of the statement.
“Becoming a Municipality would mean we would keep them.”
Kaljur disputed Haraldson’s statement, and wrote to the CVRD’s chair Bruce Joliffe, who also serves as the director for Area A of the CVRD. According to Joliffe’s emailed response on May 3, Haraldson’s view was incorrect.
Joliffe’s response is included in full below.
“Dear Susanna,
The statement: “joining the CVRD would mean our additional CEC [Capital Expenditure Charges] credits (connection fees) created by our new development would NOT stay within our community. Becoming a Municipality would mean we would keep them.” is incorrect.
The tax dollars collected for a CVRD service stays within the service. This is mandated by the Local Government Act. Thus if a water service managed by the CVRD had a CEC for a new connections, the CEC for that new connection would be kept with that water service. The funds would be used for capital improvements for that water service. Those funds could not be used elsewhere. Funds collected for a service stay within the service.
If UBID chose to convert their water service to a CVRD local water service area the CVRD would enact a bylaw to set up a new service area with the same boundaries as the existing UBID water service area. The UBID water service operating and capital funds would be transferred to this new local water service. Those funds would continue to stay with the new CVRD water service area.
The above paragraph captures the financial aspect of transitioning to a CVRD service. As has been discussed with your Board in joint UBID-CVRD meetings, if your Board has an interest in understanding implications of transitioning your services to the CVRD your Board needs to send a letter to CVRD with that request. The CVRD would then identify funding to study the implications to your landowners for such a transition. Your Board could then use the results of this analysis to have an informed discussion amongst yourselves and your community on the pros and cons of transitioning your services to the CVRD.
I hope this helps.
Reached for comment on the matter, Kaljur indicated she wanted to see a public clarification from Haraldson.
“I believe that when it’s been brought to someone’s attention, that the statement that they’ve made is incorrect, I believe every person has an obligation tho clarify that, to correct it, to do so publicly,” said Kaljur.
“This is a very contentious issue, and the public needs to understand that the CVRD is not going to keep money and use it in other areas. That’s against the law.”
When contacted by the MyComoxValleyNow.com newsroom for comment, Haraldson indicated that he had received the clarification from Joliffe, and accepted it.
He did not make further comment on the subject.
