Langford council wants details of how the Island Corridor Foundation is spending taxpayersB次元官网网址� money, and they want a seat at the table where those decisions are made.
B次元官网网址淣ot only are you not running a train, youB次元官网网址檙e paying a subcontractor whoB次元官网网址檚 not running a train as well,B次元官网网址� Langford Mayor Stew Young said at MondayB次元官网网址檚 council meeting. B次元官网网址淚 need all the information. This is almost like two sets of books.B次元官网网址�
Langford continues to call for an opening of the ICFB次元官网网址檚 books, including those of subcontractor Southern Railway of Vancouver Island, after the City was charged a $50,000 land-use fee for the ability to construct an E&N Rail Trail connector along Atkins Avenue on an ICF right-of-way. Council had previously rejected the ICFB次元官网网址檚 permissive tax exemption for 2015.
B次元官网网址淲hatB次元官网网址檚 missing there is the revenue paid to (Southern Rail) B次元官网网址� TheyB次元官网网址檙e a subcontractor. TheyB次元官网网址檙e not an owner of this track, we are,B次元官网网址� Young said.
The addition of this land-use fee prompted the City to ask for help from the Association of Vancouver Island Coastal Communities. Langford hopes the association will work with them and other impacted municipalities, regional districts, First Nations groups and the ICF board to conduct a financial and governance review of the foundation.
B次元官网网址淚t may mean a few more people sitting around the table, but thatB次元官网网址檚 okay because right now itB次元官网网址檚 not working,B次元官网网址� Young said of the ICF board.
B次元官网网址淲e have to monitor the expenses B次元官网网址� and the fee structure has to be ratified.B次元官网网址�
The City also wants the review to include the consideration of alternative transportation methods, if the cost of resurrecting rail travel proves too expensive.
B次元官网网址淓verything we are doing B次元官网网址� is in support of running the train, because Langford has been a supporter and an initiator all along,B次元官网网址� said Coun. Lillian Szpak.
The ICF was established in 2003 to oversee management and operation of the E&N rail line.
However, Langford council members are questioning the costs of continuing to support the ICF.
B次元官网网址淭hey seem to be managing land use more than running a train,B次元官网网址� Young said.
Coun. Lanny Seaton said B次元官网网址渟omething that bothers me, too, is they charge us for maintenance of the railway crossings and I have never seen a list of when thatB次元官网网址檚 done or who has done it.B次元官网网址�
On Monday council approved paying the $50,000 to enable the trail connection project to proceed.
But they also voted to review the community benefit of providing a permissive tax exemption to the ICF on a yearly basis until the rail line is operating again.
According to a staff report, tax records indicate that taxes assessed for the entire length of the ICFB次元官网网址檚 corridor within Langford were just over $47,500. These taxes were outstanding at the time of the report and have incurred a 10 per cent late fee of roughly $4,700 as well as an interest charge of $8.14 a day, totally $333.93 as of Feb. 10.
katie@goldstreamgazette.com
