Skip to content
Join our Newsletter
  1. Home
  2. Local News

Prince George borrowing over $32 million for capital projects, passes Alternative Approval Process

None of the projects were defeated by the AARP
Hanna Petersen
Hanna Petersen
Image-1
(via Hanna Petersen/Shutterstock)

Despite hundreds of residents rallying against the city borrowing $32.17 million to finance numerous long-term capital projects, none of those projects were defeated by the Alternative Approval Process.

At its meeting on Feb. 25, city council gave first three readings to 11 loan bylaws requiring elector approval for the long-term borrowing of funds.

For long-term borrowing (borrowing with a repayment period of longer than five years), local governments must obtain the approval of electors.

The province allows municipalities to get approval either through a referendum or through an alternative approval process (AARP).

How the process works is that if 10 per cent or more of eligible electors sign and submit electoral response forms, local governments such as the city of Prince George cannot proceed with the bylaws, and the matter would have to go to a referendum.

Council approved the AARP to be undertaken for each of the 11 bylaws, with a deadline of 5 p.m. on May 30 for electors to submit an elector response form in opposition to one or more of the bylaws.

The city says it did not receive elector response forms surpassing 10 per cent of the total number of electors for any of the proposed bylaws and now each bylaw will be considered for final reading and adoption during council’s regular meeting on Monday, June 10.

Here are the results for the total number of valid Elector Response Forms the city received for each proposed bylaw:

  1. Equipment Financing Bylaw No. 9007, 2019 = 2,913
  2. Mausoleum Expansion Phase 2 Bylaw No. 9008, 2019 = 2,825
  3. Civic Facility Roofs Replacements 2019 - 2022 Bylaw No. 9009, 2019 = 2,850
  4. Aquatic Centre Renewal and Upgrade Bylaw No. 9010, 2019 = 2,901
  5. Masich Stadium Amenities Refurbish Bylaw No. 9011, 2019 = 2,903
  6. Ron Brent Park Redevelopment Phase 2 & 3 Bylaw No. 9012, 2019 = 2,967
  7. 14th Avenue Upgrades (Irwin Street to Freeman Street) Bylaw No. 9013, 2019 = 2,897
  8. Domano and St. Lawrence Signalization Bylaw No. 9014, 2019 = 2,756
  9. Highway 16 West Frontage – Heyer Road to Henry Road Bylaw No. 9015, 2019 = 2,795
  10. Goose Country Road Culvert Replacement Bylaw No. 9016, 2019 = 2,850
  11. Critical Street Light and Traffic Signal Replacement Bylaw No. 9017, 2019 = 2,797