The Chair of the Cariboo Regional District says it’s time to move on after a resounding “no” from taxpayers to borrow 10 million dollars for an expansion at the South Cariboo Rec Centre in 100 Mile House.
Margo Wagner says she is disappointed but not totally surprised, although she did think the vote would be closer.
The unofficial results were 1,622 no votes to just 583 in favour.
Here’s Wagner on what she thinks happened…
“I think what probably has happened is we have a group of people vehemently opposed to the Rec Centre and we also have a group of people that don’t want their taxes to go up for any reason. And you amalgamate those two together and you have a big no vote.”
As for going back to the drawing board ?
“This project will be done. It will be filed and be done. If it was a bit closer we might go back to the drawing board but this needs to be done.”
In the end, Wagner says the public has spoken…
“We all thought that we were on the right track with this, so yes i’m disappointed but i am so glad that we made the decision to go to referendum because the public has spoken and that’s what we need to listen to, the taxpayers need to have the last say, not the politicians.”
The proposed Rec Center expansion would have included an indoor artificial grass field space, hard court gymnasium, and an elevated walking track.