Skip to content

Letter: Council dreams could turn into taxpayer nightmare

Expensive plans will hurt many, especially those on low and fixed incomes
sudbury_council_chambers
(File)

Debt is apparently a good four-letter word, as evidenced by Sudbury city council willingness to saddle present and future taxpayers with payback of massive levels of capital and interest going forward 30 years.

What do we get for this indebtedness? Some needed road work, but also a new arena when the present facility is still functional and, at moderate cost, could be successfully renovated, like what took place to Memorial Gardens in North Bay, the same age as our “barn.”

We also get a new downtown library when the present attractive facility is in good shape and has parking, and the same applies to the present art gallery, which could, with some renovations, serve as a museum to attract tourists. It also has free parking.

A convention centre and auditorium is planned for downtown when we already have many venues to serve these purposes and most located with free parking.

Then there is a proposed new twin pad hockey arena with various other amenities in the Valley, but would result in the closing of three other community facilities.

It should be noted that the construction of these new buildings will contribute considerable CO2 emissions, in contradiction of councils’ endorsement of a climate emergency.

With little growth predicted for years to come, is it not time our local elected representatives wake up and realize their expensive dreams, financed with debt, will turn into a nightmare for taxpayers in the future, especially for those on low and fixed incomes, a large segment of our population including many older adults. 

John Lindsay
President
Friendly to Seniors – Sudbury