Advance polls are open today for a couple of CRD referendums – one of which would see highway rescue services expanded beyond the borders of 100 Mile House.
The additional cost to residents to add highway rescue service would be an increase of roughly $1.41 per 100,000 dollars of assessment.
Regional Chair and Area G Director Al Richmond explains the situation
“Currently the District of 100 Mile has been doing it outside their boundaries for years and the amount of money being given by the province is no longer covering their needs. So, we’re going to referendum for a small bit of money to cover off the cost over and above the provincial contributions.”
Richmond is concerned with what it would mean for the region should the referendum fail.
“My fear is, if this doesn’t pass, the option is to if someone is outside the District of 100 Mile House boundaries in areas served by fire departments that don’t offer rescue services – which is the majority of them – that they could be stuck in their vehicle. So this way, people will continue to get the service they are used to seeing delivered by 100 Mile House Fire Rescue. We’d just be actually paying them to do that job.”
The South Cariboo Rec Centre plays host to polling with advance polls open today and Monday August 24th from 8 am to 8 pm with regular polling to follow August 29th.
Something going on in the Cariboo you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing cariboonews@vistaradio.ca.
