Being a political candidate has brought to light much information with valid citizen concerns. Do we have enough water? Why are there constant zoning changes? Can our schools accommodate the growth? What is this I hear about a civic center being built? (It was an aha moment for me as well). As transparent as I can be on the subject of a civic center, I DO NOT WANT IT!
We moved here from a little town called Goochland, Virginia, not far from Virginia's capital of Richmond. We stayed rural because that is what we wanted. A small town community, which is rather larger than it appears, but the local government listened to the voices of the people. If we didn't agree with something the Board of Supervisors was proposing, we voiced ourselves, and thankfully, the majority listened.
Washington County is growing at an alarming rate, 1210% in less than 5 years. Hurricane is a "yes" city. If St. George or Washington reject a proposal for a build, guess where it ends up? Say hello to Jellystone, Liberty Village, Civic Center, and one can only guess what else. The proposal for the civic center can be found HERE (click on link).
An excerpt from the article states:
The cost of this project will be significant, and city administration officials have currently saved 4 to 5 million dollars for the project, and have been exploring other possible financing methods to fund the development, including possibly selling the existing police station property to generate additional proceeds. Typical financing methods for this type of civic project can include:
• Use of Existing City Reserves;
• Sales Tax Bonds;
• Municipal Lease Bonds;
• Tax Increment Financing (TIF);
• General Obligation Bonds (voter-approved debt); and
• State & Federal Grants (if available).
Food for thought and to keep in mind, bonds must be repaid by the locality. Also to consider:
1. Cost to taxpayers with high construction costs, ongoing maintenance, and fear of waste (Couldn't this money have been used for our schools, roads, public safety?)
2. Underutilization: Will there be enough events to even balance the cost?
3. Say Hello to Traffic and Noise, and say goodbye to the small town charm.
4. Say goodbye to other priorities in our city.
5. Financial struggles of our citizens are real. The larger the budget for a project puts the needs of our citizens on the backburner.
I wrote this to educate you not only where I stand on the matter, but what will our city incur if this proposal finally is validated remains to be questioned.
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