Re: "Final vote to borrow $33.75M in solar-farm cash hits council Aug. 30," The Gazette, Aug. 11.
We moved to St. Albert in August 1963 and endured the annual tax increases year after year. So be it. That is to be expected from a small town to city growth.
We have also seen and heard all the promises that were made, and voted in October 2004 in favour for the borrowing debt of $38,755,000 to build the multipurpose leisure centre (Servus Place) for a guaranteed maximum price of $42,755,000. So be it, at least so many citizens are enjoying it, but if you check your annual Property Assessment and Tax Notice today under the name of Servus Place — capital levy, you will see that you are still paying annually for 13-plus years after it was opened to the public in 2008.
Then we had the ill-conceived proposal for a municipal utility corporation (MUC) in 2019, which took a rigorous analysis and a packed public hearing to oppose and stop this white elephant.
Now we are back to face a solar farm with a debt proposal of $33.75 million over 20 years. We have not even paid off Servus Place, so watch your next 2022 annual Property Assessment and Tax notice with two debt proposals.
Is that why the city has hired a rent assistance expert ("City's new specialist to focus on prevention," The Gazette, Aug. 11)? Because an increase in our tax levy could result in an awful lot of citizens who will have no choice but to rent?
If there was any money to be made on the building and maintenance, plus eventual replacement of solar panels, ATCO should have put up the $33.75 million and asked St. Albert for the partnership with a share of the $4,000,000.
Hopefully we will see a full house again on Aug. 30, as there was for the municipal utility corporation in 2019, and close the door for good on any future utility or energy corporation owned by the city.
Alphons Sadée, St. Albert
