Another look at amalgamation
Times Colonist
June 25, 2014
Why amalgamate—all is well. Isn’t it?
I like sitting in my car for an extra half hour so I can get to my neighbourhood in Langford—keeps folks away and makes my neighbourhood quieter. I like the way the road pattern changes at North Dairy and Shelbourne, makes for nice distinct neighbourhoods, although the traffic flow is a little difficult. I like all the different street names keeps tourists going in circles.
I like the way the sewage plan is going, no plant in my neighbourhood let the other guys have it—bully or bribe them if you have to but leave my neighbourhood alone.
I am glad I don’t have strange police officers from other neighbourhoods in my neighbourhood. They don’t know me and I don’t know them. It’s nice to have 10 emergency centres, don’t want one person telling everyone what to do; better to have 10. Our neighbourhood might be a mess but it’s our neighbourhood.
Two heads are better than one; hence it must be true that 91 elected officials are better than 10, 15 or 20. Maybe if we divide up Victoria and Saanich into three municipalities we can have over 100 people focused on their neighbourhoods and not on someone else’s problems.
Maybe just maybe I could retain my neighbourhood identity while being part of a larger unit. And maybe, if we did it right we might save money, have better coordinated or more services. If we never ask or never look at it, who will know? One vote on amalgamation in the region would cost about 3% of the total cost of all elected officials salaries and expenses, a lot less than the latest raises.
Tony Heemskerk
Saanich
Copyright Times Colonist
Times Colonist
June 25, 2014
Why amalgamate—all is well. Isn’t it?
I like sitting in my car for an extra half hour so I can get to my neighbourhood in Langford—keeps folks away and makes my neighbourhood quieter. I like the way the road pattern changes at North Dairy and Shelbourne, makes for nice distinct neighbourhoods, although the traffic flow is a little difficult. I like all the different street names keeps tourists going in circles.
I like the way the sewage plan is going, no plant in my neighbourhood let the other guys have it—bully or bribe them if you have to but leave my neighbourhood alone.
I am glad I don’t have strange police officers from other neighbourhoods in my neighbourhood. They don’t know me and I don’t know them. It’s nice to have 10 emergency centres, don’t want one person telling everyone what to do; better to have 10. Our neighbourhood might be a mess but it’s our neighbourhood.
Two heads are better than one; hence it must be true that 91 elected officials are better than 10, 15 or 20. Maybe if we divide up Victoria and Saanich into three municipalities we can have over 100 people focused on their neighbourhoods and not on someone else’s problems.
Maybe just maybe I could retain my neighbourhood identity while being part of a larger unit. And maybe, if we did it right we might save money, have better coordinated or more services. If we never ask or never look at it, who will know? One vote on amalgamation in the region would cost about 3% of the total cost of all elected officials salaries and expenses, a lot less than the latest raises.
Tony Heemskerk
Saanich
Copyright Times Colonist
