The revitalization of the downtown center is going into its 30th year with not much success. Is it not supposed to be the city's responsibility to take care of it with our land taxes?
Firstly, I am an owner of a building downtown, and I reject the PGDBIA scheme. Their proposal says they need approx $200,000 to run their incorporated business. I smell fish. In the fine print, the city of Prince George is to grant all monies to PGDBIA. But no one knows how much tax money will be collected. Is it $200,000 or $500,000? The city can't give out tax information...except to the PGDBIA?
No. 5 in the City of Prince George's Notice of Intention explains a $10,000 cap on large buildings. What most people don't realize is that No. 5 and No. 6 explain that if a building is assessed at a greater amount, the excess over that cap is "allocated proportionately between the owners of the remaining Taxable Properties within the Downtown Business Improvement Area..." So, the smaller building owners will be paying the excess of the cap on the larger buildings, not necessarily only what they are assessed at. This was confirmed in a telephone conversation with the PGDBIA office.
The PGDBIA has an underhanded advantage. The letter from Kirk Gable to building owners says, "Property owners will have 30 days to respond to the city, and those who do not respond will be assumed to be in favour." This is a reverse petition, and it was denied last year by Mayor Colin Kinsley and council. They felt one month, as well as a reverse petition, was unfair to the downtown businesses. So the PGDBIA is trying this again? Absurd!
I'm going to be voting next time for more business experience in city council. I don't appreciate how they sit back and say yes to something that won't affect them just because it looks pretty. It's like the city is playing Robin Hood for the PGDBIA. The downtown is the whole city's problem! This is why everyone pays taxes! A secondary tax, for only a few, is not acceptable.
Yes, I smell fish, sorry PGDBIA....NO DEAL.
Peter Campbell Sr.
Prince George
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