Negative option no way to conduct a democratic process
To the editor:
I concur with Geoff Walsh’s assessment of the alternative approval system (Negative Option Approval Process Flawed, Dec. 19 Capital News). It is flawed and less than democratic, given that only 31.4 per cent of voters cast ballets in the last municipal election but 10 per cent of all eligible voters are required to trigger a referendum.
Three of the new approvals carry a cost of almost $58 million. As a comparison the Aquatic Center at some $44 million was itself expected to raise the average tax bill by 2.8 per cent (Dec. 12, Capital News). Anyone concerned with rising tax rates should sign the three response forms and send council a strong message that if they want the taxpayer’s approval, they should use the normal voting procedure, not a negative one.
January 10 at 4 p.m. is the last date to submit signed forms to City Hall.
Allan Farrar,
Kelowna
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