Dear Tiny Taxpayer,
Time sensitive message, please read now. We need your response and support!
If you’re following any local media you’re aware that the Mayor and all but one of the Councillors are moving to approve putting the Township into huge debt by constructing a massive town hall in an isolated and remote location. The move will take their current building from 12,000 square feet in the current town hall complex to roughly 22,000 sf, with no significant population growth anticipated in Tiny’s future to justify it. The entire township has roughly 6,000 dwellings with no commercial or industrial tax base. So, we homeowners ultimately pay for everything.
The bottom line is $27 million plus financing charges for 30 years, which could add another $25 million to the total cost. This will result in our taxes going up even more than the 20% in the last two years and another 20% anticipated over the next three. In addition, there is already a $50 million unfunded backlog for infrastructure that has to be dealt with in the July 1 asset management plan.
There has been no meaningful acknowledgement of or response to the outright public anger expressed at the December “public engagement” sessions, the countless deputations at council meetings, the wintery town hall protest by 150+ brave souls, or the petition signed by 2,300+ citizens — roughly the same number who voted last time for many of the council members now wanting to build this massively expensive structure.
No one on this Council ran for office indicating that this massive project, the largest and most costly in Tiny history, should be a priority that must be rushed through.
Repeated requests on social media and in deputations have asked that the decision to proceed be delayed until a more up-to-date assessment of current and future needs is completed, given evolving workplace trends (e.g., work from home) and the many other serious, capital-intensive infrastructure issues we face.
On April 3rd a motion recommending the biggest, most expensive option was accepted by Council. Unless Council comes to accept that the citizens of Tiny are extremely unhappy with the decision-making process so far, they’ll vote on April 24th to accept their own recommendation and move forward. Our repeated question is: What’s the rush?
We know the vast majority of those we have met and spoken with are not in favour of proceeding so quickly. So, we need you to weigh in now!
Use the sample email message below to tell our elected officials — Mayor Evans, Tiny Councillors and senior staff — to put this project on hold until further study can be completed, with results presented and discussed at in-person and virtual public meetings. Feel free to add in anything else you’d like to tell them.
We’ve added one more email address that gives us an auditable trail of the number of messages sent. Be sure to include your name and Tiny address so they know it’s from a Tiny resident. We expect that you and your neighbours, who share your concern, will flood their inboxes in a way they can’t ignore.
Your immediate response is urgently required as Council’s vote to proceed is next week, on April 24th. PLEASE DON’T WAIT. April 24th is next week. The Mayor and Council need to clearly know how we all feel before they go into the meeting.
Here’s what to do:
1. Open a new email message.
2. Highlight the following entire list, and then copy and paste it all at once into address line:
mayorevans@tiny.ca;councillorwalma@tiny.ca;councillorhelowka@tiny.ca;
councillorbrunelle@tiny.ca;deputymayormiskimins@tiny.ca;
newtownhall@tiny.ca;rlamb@tiny.ca;tleitch@tiny.ca; tiny.response24@outlook.com
3. Copy this message into the body of the email.
Dear Mayor Evans and Tiny Councillors, Senior Staff
I am a taxpayer in Tiny. I object to your decision to build a massive town hall in a remote and isolated area without seeking our approval to take on the largest debt in our history. I am asking you to PLEASE PUT OFF THE UPCOMING APRIL 24TH TINY COUNCIL RATIFICATION VOTE INDEFINITELY until more information is obtained, including from taxpayers, and other options receive serious consideration.
4. Type your name:
5. Type your Tiny address:
6. Feel free to add any comments you would like
7. Hit send.
You’re done! Thank you for your support.
Please also discuss this issue with your neighbours, and if they haven’t received a copy of this message forward it to them.
One last thing. A protest rally is being planned for the afternoon of April 24th at the Town Hall, 130 Balm Beach Rd. Join in a common voice from residents from 4:45-5pm to clearly indicate our opposition.
Afterwards, if you want, move inside to the council meeting to watch democracy at work.
Thanks for helping us keep Tiny affordable!