Dear friends and neighbours:

A BIG THANKS to so many of you for writing to the premier and to the press regarding your concerns about the dismemberment of Comox Strathcona Regional District. You've had an impact, and there is now a slightly better chance of sober second thought on this ill-advised provincial plan.

But more letters are needed, and darn soon! If you've not yet had a chance to write, please send out something this week, even a short note expressing your concerns. (Contact info is at the bottom of this email.) And if you've already written, please consider sending a follow-up note.

Here's a quick update on what's happened since I wrote to you on November 1st:

The CSRD Board has released the independent auditor's report on the obvious unavoidable costs of the split - $6.6 million over the first five years (most of that in the first year) for the least expensive model - one which proposes a regional services corporation. A complete split into two small, totally separate regional districts would cost much more. And the report recognizes that even more costs would be identified as a transition moved forward.

The drafting of the Letters Patent required to permit the split is taking more time "to review the implications" than the province first anticipated. Minister Chong of Community Services now expects cabinet to see these documents early in the new year, with a dismemberment effective mid-February, a month later than originally intended.

CSRD directors have at last been granted a meeting with the minister, in Victoria on Monday 3 December.

Just last Thursday the CSRD Board endorsed a resolution to request that the province review and reconsider the intended split, with a one-year delay to allow for further analysis and proper public input.

It's time for the province to halt the unseemly rush to divide up the Comox Strathcona Regional District. Needed adjustments to the governance structure of the RD could readily proceed without a split. A reconsideration is the fiscally and politically responsible route for the province to take. Public input is absolutely essential, and it's needed right now!

Write to Premier Gordon Campbell at Premiergov.bc.ca and Parliament Buildings, Victoria V8V 1X4 - and please cc the CSRD Board at administrationrdcs.bc.ca.

With sincere thanks,
Tom

Tom Pater
Director, Kyuquot-Nootka (Electoral Area G)
Comox Strathcona Regional District
(250) 334-8838
tomdaleshaw.ca

Local press contacts:

Comox Valley Echo
echocomoxvalleyecho.com

Comox Valley Record
editorcomoxvalleyrecord.com

The Record (Gold River and West Coast -- bi-weekly))
recordisland.net

Campbell River Courier Islander
editorcourierislander.com

Campbell River Mirror
editorcampbellrivermirror.com

The Island WORD (monthly)
islandwordshaw.ca