I’ve worked in the sawmill, logging industry, transportation hauling wood chips and pulp, from a teenager until retirement (total of 50 plus years). I was elected as a Commissioner in 1965 (renamed to alderman) for a total of 12 years, ran as mayor for 22 years, now finishing six years as councillor.
The number-one challenge facing our community is maintaining our current level of services. Salmo has many services and functions with participation from Area G and their director. If it wasn’t for the combined effort, we wouldn’t have as many of the functions that we may have begun to take for granted.
We need to keep up efforts being made to keep the present services and functions at the present level, that are not possible without increased funding or allowing our present infrastructure to continue to deteriorate (streets and sidewalks). We don’t want to have to use the rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul approach in order to fund what might be considered to be more favorable functions. Alternative approaches to funding may need to be looked at.
We are currently working on improvements in our water system and we need to continue to ensure sufficient supply for our personal use as well as fire protection. We need to have more money in reserve in order to participate in future available grants that may come available.
Without having money set aside, we will not be able to participate in some grant programs as they have stipulations that you must contribute a portion of the money in order to receive match funding.
There are varying methods in the taxation process of raising money so each alternative should be considered and the preferable method utilized. We need to ensure that our wishes do not exceed our ability to pay.