Dear editor, A strong and well-financed recreation centre is critical for both the social well-being and health of any rural community. The Springbank Park for All Seasons is no exception.
Rocky View Council’s decision to freeze Recreation Board operating budgets and cut matching funds for capital expenditure despite an unprecedented increase in population is an illustration of the severity of the financial blackhole the municipality now finds itself in.
Last year the Central Springbank Task Force warned about the burden of debt being placed on the municipality by the current council. This warning was based on our calculation that the debt associated with the Balzac mall had spiraled from $5 million in 2002 to $53 million by summer 2009. Despite public ridicule from the Reeve, our analysis has proved all too accurate as witnessed by the sorry state of the County’s 2009 audited financial statements.
Unfortunately, the debt situation continues to deteriorate. According to the County's latest spin sheet “Straight Talk About Debt,” it now stands at $60.5 million. That’s approximately $5,500 for every household in the County. Council is now seeking financing for another $22.1 million to provide the water required to keep development in Balzac afloat - literally.
Sadly, with the cherry of the Balzac project already built and economic stagnation dragging on, even the County’s spin sheet shows that the lion’s share of levy payments to date have been gobbled up on servicing an ever increasing debt. Indeed, Council’s vote to starve the social and active-living centers of our existing communities of essential resources is a de facto admission that we are broke. Even the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB) is warning that Rocky View has been spending beyond its means.
Yet Rocky View is poised to repeat the hard and costly mistakes of the past. All five of the councillors seeking re-election are intent on further massive urbanization, backing plans for new commuter towns and cities throughout the municipality. This madness must stop. The consequent of running up large debt on existing services can no longer be denied. We need to go back to fundamentals and the real needs of our rural communities, not least sustained funding for recreational centers.
Richard Wilson, Central Springbank Task Force
