THUNDER BAY -- The Concerned Taxpayers of Thunder Bay are not endorsing any candidates ahead of Monday’s municipal election.
“That was never out intent,” said chairman Ray Smith Wednesday evening at a public meeting the group hosted at the DaVinci Centre.
“I just didn’t think it was the right thing for our group to be doing. We’re campaigning for a plebiscite on the event centre and if in fact we don’t get one and it is built, the effect is going to hurt this city.”
Smith addressed the crowd of about 60 people with his concerns about the proposed event centre, mainly the cost of the project, and then welcomed anyone who wanted to voice their concerns about the city on any issue to speak.
Despite other organizations in the community endorsing candidates, Smith isn’t worried about the Concerned Taxpayers not issuing a slate of candidates they’d prefer to win seats at the council table on Oct. 27.
“I’ve never worried about what anybody else does,” he said, adding they will continue to push for a plebiscite on the event centre despite the city moving forward with phase four – asking senior levels of government to contribute $72 million to the $120-million project.
“Regardless of who gets in, I think they’ve got to sit down and give the taxpayers a vote – a vote on our share, the $42-plus million and the operating deficit we’re going to be responsible for, “ said Smith. “It will end this bickering and it’ll settle it one way or another. I can live with the decision.”
Vern Seymour has been following the Concerned Taxpayers of Thunder Bay on the plebiscite issue and has also attended all of the candidate forums and debates to become as informed as possible before casting his ballot next week.
The city man said he doesn’t agree with the current event centre plan but if a plebiscite showed support for the project, he would no longer object.
Seymour said when the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium was proposed 30 years ago, he was against it.
“Fifty-one per cent said they wanted it. I shut up. No problem,” he said, adding with the event centre, if he’s going to be paying for it through taxes, he should have a say in whether it’s built.
He also voiced his concerns about other issues he believes should be higher priorities than the event centre.
“My bigger concern in the city of Thunder Bay is crime. That is one of the biggest things that has to be dealt with and all the socioeconomic issues that go along with it,” said Seymour, adding the city should be applying to the Build Canada Fund to replace the James Street Swing Bridge and bypass CN in the process.
