LETTER – Some questions for the City about Build Kamloops and the AAP

Dear City Council:

Please find numerous questions I would like answered.

1/ Will taxpayers whose properties fall under the 10-year revitalization tax exemption be contributing on the basis of the current value of their new apartment or would it be levied on the former value of the demolished properties?

2/ Furthermore, why do the Alternative Approval Process (AAP) forms state that taxpayers are on the hook for $275 million for 30 years, yet Build Kamloops spokesperson Kristen Rodriguez was quoted in an Armchair Mayor article as saying the tax increase will be “in perpetuity”?

3/ If this was a mortgage, taxpayers would stop paying once the debt was paid off. Why is the Build Kamloops debt different?

4/ Does City Hall have an estimate for next year’s tax increase? Will there be a utility fee increase as well?

5/ Does Build Kamloops have an estimate for additional ongoing costs of the facilities like equipment, staffing, maintenance, insurance, security and utilities?

6/ Does the City plan to also fund a new RCMP building? If so, is there an estimate of cost and is there a timeline for start/completion?

7/ Are there any plans to build a new city hall in the near future, and if so, has any ball park cost been determined and a location?

8/ Has Build Kamloops incorporated ways the new facilities could generate income, such as by including residential or commercial spaces in the structures?

9/ Is there any data available that indicates the actual bookings and usage at our ice rink facilities and theatres in town, such as the Sagebrush?

Thank you for your attention to these matters, and I await a response, as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,
DAVID BRUMMUND
Kamloops, BC.