In the days leading up to the municipal election on October 16, we will be publishing the answers to questions posed by 2day FM to the candidates running in the County of Grande Prairie. The responses are listed in alphabetical order by division and are unedited. They have not been fact checked and 2day FM is not responsible for any errors or inaccuracies.
Q: Do you think County of Grande Prairie residents get proportionate value for their tax dollars? What could be done to improve it?
DIVISION 2
Daryl Beeston
A: I believe over the last 4 years we have continued to provide excellent service to our residents and at the same time be conservative with our tax increases.
Don Streeper
A: I feel we get fair value for our tax dollar I do not want to see it raised it at all possible
So of the spending needs to be have more public input
Thomas Tharp
No response submitted.
DIVISION 3
Leanne Beaupre
A: No response submitted.
Barry Yaehne
A: What I am hearing from the people in Division 3 is that they are not receiving proportionate value for their tax dollars for different reasons.
To fix it: communication: communicate where the tax dollars are going.
DIVISION 4
Maurissa Hietland
A: Yes. There are many services and resources available to our county residents. In fact, we are pretty lucky to live where we do.
Bernie Smashnuk
A: I believe the rate payer could have got more value for their tax dollars by prioritizing our needs over some of our wants.
Ross Sutherland
No response submitted.
DIVISION 5
Kevin Gingles
No response submitted.
Robert Hill
No response submitted.
Bob Marshall
No response submitted.
DIVISION 6
Peter Harris
No response submitted.
Ashley Heggelund
No response submitted.
Kathy Longson
A: In conversations with taxpayers they all understand we need to pay taxes for infrastructure, from hospitals to snow removal. What they want to know is what they should expect for the tax dollar. Will snow get removed on a scheduled basis, that will maintain our roads; or does it have to snow 6 inches first? If spring runoff or heavy rain takes out your culvert and you have a lake in your yard, you cannot access your outbuildings; is that an emergency or does it have to be running into your basement first? Who communicates to the residents when a lane on your bridge gets shut down at the drop of a hat and it is harvest time or middle of winter and this is year four and you know nothing, will it happen next year and the year after? Residents want to know why their division has no allocation of funding for major road improvement (pavement) in the budget for 2 years or they have a road totally redone that goes to nowhere and a school route needing attention. I am thinking the residents want answers; they want accountability and not just a mill rate increase the next year.
DIVISION 7
Arthur Amendt
No response submitted.
Linda Dianne Waddy
No response submitted.
DIVISION 9
Dwayne A. Badry
No response submitted.
Corey Beck
A: I do believe that County residents get proportionate value for there tax dollars. That does not mean we can’t work on efficiencies. We must look at operations to make sure that value is being brought to residents. We don’t need to create services that aren’t requested and we must be vigilant in how capital projects proceed so they are sustainable.