Editor:
I was happy to see Sandor Gyarmati’s report in the June 6th edition that Delta council made the wise financial decision to forgo spending $50,000 for a welcome sign to Boundary Bay.
With property taxes already increasing at rates well beyond inflation and putting a burden on homeowners and, in turn, renters, and businesses there is no need to waste that kind of money on a sign.
It does, however, beg the question – how is it even remotely possible that the installation of a sign would cost $50,000?
Am I that out of touch with the cost of materials?
It seems to me that this is, at best, a $5,000 ticket. Some lumber, a few bags of concrete, and a sign … a few city employees to dig a couple holes and that’s about it. I am being somewhat facetious as I’m sure it’s a little more complicated than that, but I think you get my point.
If, however, the true cost is $50,000, one must wonder how much was spent this spring when the city added a second crosswalk control button at the northwest corner of Morris Crescent and 12th Avenue … a new button that is around four or five metres away from an existing and well functioning button. This “infrastructure project” involved more than a few days of labour with workers, material, and equipment on site.
Mark Schoeffel
