The new city council elected this October will not be bound by the results of the referendum on borrowing $393 million for new recreation facilities.
Mayor Dan Ruimy, who supports the plan and is standing for re-election, explained the referendum questions on borrowing will allow voters to choose whether or not to support the three projects – anew aquatic centre, two more arenas at Planet Ice, and the redevelopment of the Maple Ridge Golf Course.
However, the members of the new council could shelve any or all of the projects, whether they have public support for borrowing, or not.
“If you have all three referendums successful, the council of the day still has the choice to say no,” explained Ruimy. “That’s what I want people to understand.”
“They could say no to everything,” he said. “Which is why I want to be back. I want to see these through. If the referendums are successful, and you want this to pass, then you want to elect a council that’s actually supportive of this, not the other way around.”
It’s a hill Ruimy is willing to die on, politically, and he acknowledges it’s a bold and risky plan.
“It would have been easier to do nothing. But that’s what every council has done – nothing,” said Ruimy. “This is why we’re in the place that we’re in right now.”
He was speaking at the July 9 information session about the projects at the Greg Moore Youth Centre. Interested members of the public read information on poster boards, and spoke with Ruimy and members of city hall staff.
Those attending the session learned details, such as how the loans would be repaid – 60 per cent through a three per cent property tax increase per year for four years, and 40 per cent through amenity cost charges for developers.
Some were critics of the plan.
Hammond resident Eric O’Connor called the plan a “catch-up idea,” but said it’s too late, and the city waited too long to build them.
“To dump a $393 million debt on taxpayers is not nice,” he said.
Doug Cooper said the multi-use park lacks a good access, as his street – Golf Lane – is too narrow. He said traffic is an issue, and the neighbourhood broadly opposes turning the golf course into ball parks and a community park.
“As I was telling the mayor tonight, there was an option for council to decide on a plan that benefit all of Maple Ridge. where there wasn’t going to be winners and losers. And council and the city opted for a plan where there are losers. It didn’t have to be that way.”
Former councillor Chelsa Meadus said she sees opposition to redeveloping the golf course, but there has been longtime support for new rinks. However, the arena expansion still needs to be approved by the Agricultural Land Commission.
“There are still a lot of unknowns,” said Meadus.
“I do appreciate it’s going to referendum, and the public gets to decide.”