Posted by Greg Locke on Feb 1, 2011 in Get Engaged! | 0 comments
A “plan” isn’t worth the paper its printed on if it merely sits on a shelf. Yet that’s what King’s 1995 “Future 2000 Strategic Plan” has been: It had not been updated since its publication, and for obvious reason: it was a document with no life.
An effective plan is one that reflects and builds on an approach: a living, breathing ongoing focus of resources that adapts to changing dynamics.
Council will soon be updating our Strategic Plan (as well as several other inter-related planning tools and processes). I have a keen interest in these initiatives because, besides being trained in business strategy, I’m acutely aware that King lacks the wealth-generating economy necessary to pay for our unique lifestyle.
If we don’t figure out how to sustainably increase our tax base while at the same time preserve and protect our natural, heritage and artistic assets, I fear we’ll ultimately be split up and absorbed into our surrounding municipalities.
I’ve reproduced the Globe and Mail article below because it builds on the focused planning that made cities like Stratford transform their economies.
If King continues with our default historic laissez faire approach we’ll continue to be an economy where sluggish growth comes from low-wage retail stores serving our new subdivisions and increasing through-traffic.
read more
Posted by Greg Locke on Feb 1, 2011 in Get Engaged! | 2 comments
In July 15, 2009 Ward 4 Councillor Bill Cober stated quite clearly that, “the new arena would pay for itself”.
This is the same Councillor who stated at January 17th’s Council meeting that, “… the Township was lucky to get $300,000…this money is a gift”.
This is striking because the new arena was sold to us taxpayers based on a formula that saw no tax burden in its construction. And I note, this was at a time when the Township was at, or very near, its statutory debt ceiling.
$300,000 is likely the “right” number for a facility such as this (though the contract duration is still excessive at 25 years. 8-10 is more typical).
The real issue is why in the analysis phase the sober warnings of Councillors Mortelliti, Laidlaw and Underhill were ignored: In their pursuit for this facility and stimulus funds, the previous Council majority committed King to a highly naive budgeting formula: the naming rights alone specified a $750,000 contribution to the $4.72 million Township cost portion.
What this means is, the $300,000 received by Trisan is not a “gift” as Councillor Cober states, but part of a funding requirement.
read more
Posted by Greg Locke on Jan 15, 2011 in Get Engaged! | 6 comments
Where will the $450,000 come from the “deal” shortfall?
Answer: Our Taxes.
I made an address to Council in September of 2010, for I could not help but criticize what I knew would be a predictable vote on one critical piece of the new arena’s funding formula, passed by Council last April in a similar, predictable vote. I chose a lighter-hearted approach to get my point across (the full text of my address is below) for I guessed there would be no shortage of negative criticism of this taxpayer giveway.
And I was right.
Trick is, it’s easy to get sidetracked by the name proposed itself; or the fact that Trisan, an established local contractor, was the only respondent to the Township’s Expression Of Interest (EOI); or the fact that the original “deal” was for the effective life of the facility (50 years or more – Mayor Pellegrini reduced this to 25); or, the fact that the “deal” is for only $300,000.
These facts all degrade what I refer to as the “ART” of the matter here: the presence (or lack) of A ccountability, R esponsibility, and T ransparency of these critical Council decisions that so affect our taxes moving forward.
Why, you ask?
Because Council made its narrowly-passed decision to approve the new Arena facility based on a formula, spelled out on Page 34 of in Parks Recreation & Culture Department Report PR-2010–6 based on several funding sources, several of which bear little resemblance to reality.
BOTTOM LINE:
Any shortfall in funding AND/OR cost overruns of the new facility, will have to be borne 100% by our property tax base, and at the time they’re incurred unless Council can find scarce debenture room.
read more
Posted by Greg Locke on Oct 28, 2010 in Get Engaged!, Press | 0 comments
REPRINTED FROM THE KING SENTINEL, October 27, 2010
King Township residents and members of council were among the roughly 100 people at Queen’s Park Thursday at a rally to fight to help save Ontario’s waters.
Earthroots, Council of Canadians and Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM) Coalition organized the rally to urge the government to better manage, conserve and protect Ontario’s water resources.
The rally was centered around water conservation in general, but focused on the Oak Ridges Moraine to highlight some of the problems being faced in Ontario.
Earthroots Campaigner Josh Garfinkel said a strong message needs to be sent out to the government that they must better manage public water resources.
A carrot mascot, Josh Garfinkel, Senior Campaigner for Earthroots, Audrey Bankley, outreach coordinator of Earthroots, Josh Kohler, Southern Ontario campaigner of Earthroots, Brenda Bakers, Markham Municipal Councillor Erin Shapero and Debbie Crandall of STORM (Save the Oak Ridges Moraine) were also at the rally.
“The effects of the global water crisis in Ontario are being felt,” he said.
Debbie Schaefer, member of Concerned Citizens of King Township and Ward 5 council candidate, said King Township was represented at this meeting because of the plans by the Ontario Power Authority to build a 393 MW gas fired peaker generator in Ansnorveldt.
“The generator site is in the Lake Simcoe watershed and the site is in the marsh,” Schaefer stated in an e-mail. “The 17-kilometre pipeline to service the generator will be cut through the Oak Ridges Moraine across and under water paths.”
read more
Posted by Greg Locke on Oct 22, 2010 in Greg in the Community, Press | 1 comment
I’m a volunteer Board Member and Grants Committee Chair of York Region Arts Council. I’m King Township and Arts Society King’s representative.
Since last Fall’s Chairman’s Gala, sponsored by York Region Chair Bill Fisch that raised $250,000 for the arts in York, I’d been working to design, launch, administer and adjudicate the awarding of Chair Fisch’s $125,000 donation (1/2 of the gala proceeds) to this much needed programme for the arts in York.
I’m happy and proud that last Monday, October 18th we publicly announced all award recipients in all three grant categories (see reprint of Theresa Latchford’s article covering the event below).
I’M ESPECIALLY PROUD that King’s Humber River Shakespeare Company received a $4,000 marketing grant to help it grow and prosper. Congratulations HRSC!
read more
