An Oak Bay resident wants her roads fixed, and sheB次元官网网址檚 happy to see taxes go up to make it happen.

B次元官网网址淲here Heron turns into Lincoln, towards the Willows Beach end, thereB次元官网网址檚 more potholes than street,B次元官网网址� said Oak Bay resident Tamara Lechner. B次元官网网址淭hey fill them in, but the really fun thing is there will be 12 and theyB次元官网网址檒l fill three of them. I realize that theyB次元官网网址檙e probably replacing the whole road eventually, but itB次元官网网址檚 at the point now where I drive down the street the rocks are being kicked up and are hitting the bottom of the car as though it was a dirt road, but itB次元官网网址檚 actually a paved road.B次元官网网址�

Lechner says sheB次元官网网址檚 heard concerns that roads arenB次元官网网址檛 safe for cycling, or that cars might be damaged. She says sheB次元官网网址檚 asked a road work team about why they donB次元官网网址檛 do more, and was told there wasnB次元官网网址檛 the money in the budget.

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B次元官网网址淚 think what Oak Bay is going to have to do is B次元官网网址� over probably a 10-year period B次元官网网址� is raise taxes incrementally but fairly significantly. They would be able to immediately borrow against the planned increase and get the work done,B次元官网网址� Lechner said. B次元官网网址淕et the money now and do it now before it becomes un-repairable and you have to rebuild everything.B次元官网网址�

She understands that tax increases might be hard for some of Oak BayB次元官网网址檚 retirees and residents who live on fixed incomes, but believes that gains made on assessed values over the years could help people cope with higher tax bills.

B次元官网网址淲e moved from Ontario and we moved from a house that was valued at less than $500,000, and we pay less tax here for a house thatB次元官网网址檚 valued over a $1,000,000,B次元官网网址� Lechner said. B次元官网网址淪o definitely weB次元官网网址檙e not paying what we should.B次元官网网址�

Mayor Kevin Murdoch said that according to Oak BayB次元官网网址檚 pavement management plan, the District should be spending $2.8 million per year on that infrastructure. He said last year they only spent $700,000 dollars, and council is considering tax increases to fix that funding deficit.

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jesse.laufer@oakbaynews.com
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