The Okotoks Ratepayers Community Group made an appearance at the last Okotoks town council meeting, with questions regarding projects the town is pursuing.

One of the group's co-founders, Ryan Nix, addressed council directly, presenting some concerns over the proposed Arts and Learning Campus.

The group submitted an open letter to town council, outlining concerns with the project, including the possibility of rail tracks cutting the campus off from downtown Okotoks, the danger of flooding and potential cost of flood mitigation, and the group's perceived taxpayer burden.

The open letter made mention of a per capita cost for the project, which Nix says was calculated by the ratepayers group.

"We took the project cost that was approved in the budget and divided it by the number of residents or number of households in Okotoks."

Councillor Thorn took issue with the figures, calling them "completely and totally inaccurate," and expressing major concerns of the group spreading potential misinformation.

Nix says any inaccuracies with the figures stems from a lack of information provided to the public.

"If there's other numbers involved such as revenue coming from the partners that are involved or revenue coming from a potential tax shift, those certainly would factor in and change the numbers. Because we didn't have access to the information and how that would work, then we can only go by what is published and accessible."

Councillors Thorn and Christophers assured Nix that they are working to get these same questions answered, with plans to make more information available to the public as soon as possible.

Nix says he feels the ratepayers group did their part in demonstrating a lack of available information, as well as the amount of public interest in accessing that information.

"We're not suggesting that councillors are not doing what they should and are not answering these questions, but with those questions not being out in the public, how are we to know? I think we did show that there are questions and people do have concerns about how this is going to go ahead, and as long as those questions are addressed and answered, I don't think there's too much of a problem."

Council recommended Nix and anyone else looking for answers surrounding the project to attend the next regular Council meeting on November 25th, wherein the results of the validation report for the proposed project will be provided for consideration before town council.

 

Questions, comments, or story ideas? Email news@okotoksonline.com