mark anderson – Duncan Taxpayers

Mark Anderson – Candidate For Duncan Council

Posted on September 16, 2022September 26, 2022 by admin

My name is Mark Anderson and I am running as a candidate for City of Duncan Council in the upcoming municipal election to be held on 15 October 2022. Here are the candidates for Duncan Council.

I believe the residents, taxpayers and businesses in Duncan have not been well served by Duncan Council since the last election in 2018. The current Mayor and many members of the current Council, with some notable exceptions, do not place Duncan’s residents, taxpayers and businesses at the top of their priority list.

I believe that needs to change. If elected, my top priority will be “Putting Duncan’s Residents, Taxpayers And Businesses First.”

I have been a City of Duncan resident and taxpayer since 2007. I also operate a successful business serving Duncan and the Cowichan Valley, Greater Victoria and Nanaimo.

So I totally understand the leading issues that are most important to Duncan’s residents, taxpayers and businesses.

Mark Anderson with one of the cars owned by his business, West Coast Driver Training (photo: Cowichan Valley Citizen)

In my view those issues are taxes; public infrastructure; maintaining safe and attractive neighbourhoods and a safe and attractive downtown core; public safety; maintaining the livability and small town character of Duncan; and creating and maintaining policies to promote and encourage local business.

I want to ensure that Duncan is, and remains, a prosperous small town that is an attractive place to live and visit.

The ways of accomplishing this are not a mystery or a closely guarded secret. The 18th century Scottish economist Adam Smith laid down the basic common features of successful nations and cities in his classic book, The Wealth Of Nations, first published in 1776 and still considered one of the most influential books ever written.

According to Adam Smith, successful nations and cities shared some common key characteristics. The governments of successful nations and cities were:

serious about keeping their public finances in order. The governments of successful nations and cities are, in Adam Smith’s phrase, “not profligate” with public finances. Ensuring that the City of Duncan keeps municipal taxes at reasonable levels and ensuring those tax dollars are used efficiently are essential;
diligent in building and maintaining public infrastructure. As Adam Smith emphasized, societies function far better with good infrastructure than with poor infrastructure or without infrastructure;
serious about maintaining public safety and the rule of law, without which society descends into anarchy while crime and public disorder become intolerable. Crime and public safety are very important issues for Duncan residents, taxpayers and businesses;
diligent in creating a climate in which business could prosper. In Adam Smith’s classic phrase, successful businesses create a prosperous society through the actions of “the invisible hand“;
providing quality public education. (I will add comments on the District 79 School Board candidates in due time)

These things are as true and as important today as they were when Adam Smith first wrote about them in 1776.

If elected to the City of Duncan Council I will constantly keep Adam Smith’s admonitions in mind.

I will ensure that Duncan’s finances are kept in order and that the City of Duncan is “not profligate” with your tax dollars. Duncan’s municipal taxes must NOT be an onerous burden on its residential or business taxpayers;
I will be diligent in building and maintaining the public infrastructure that the City of Duncan is required to provide, and in keeping the cost of that infrastructure within the means of Duncan’s taxpayers;
I will be very serious about maintaining public safety and the rule of law. Crime, disorder and a lack of public safety do not lead to successful cities or desirable places to live; quite the opposite.
I will emphasize the creation and maintenance of a political climate and policies under which Duncan businesses can prosper. Successful businesses are a fundamental component of any successful city.

Here is a video with some of my comments about supporting business in downtown Duncan:

Here is a video with some of my comments about building housing in downtown Duncan:

Here is another video with my comments about housing policy in Duncan:

Here is a video with my comments on protecting and preserving single family residential neighbourhoods in Duncan:

Mark Anderson, 4 September 2018 (photo: Lexi Bainas, Cowichan Valley Citizen) — Mark Anderson, candidate for City of Duncan Council (photo: Lexi Bainas, Cowichan Valley Citizen)

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Duncan Mayor And Council Candidates – Which Candidates Live In Duncan And Which Ones Do Not?

Posted on October 9, 2018October 19, 2018 by admin

Earlier this year, the City of Duncan went through a divisive, and very expensive, Amalgamation Referendum which was conclusively settled on 23 June 2018 by a resounding No vote from Duncan voters. But although this Amalgamation Referendum was settled nearly four months ago the effects of the Amalgamation campaign are still on the minds of Duncan voters.

As I campaign door to door around Duncan, the first two questions I am most commonly asked by voters are:

Do you live in Duncan?; and
How did you vote on Amalgamation?

Clearly the Amalgamation Referendum is still on the minds of Duncan voters. Both of these questions are very valid and I have to admit that they are also the first two questions I ask of any candidates currently running for Mayor of Duncan or for Duncan Council.

So, for the information of Duncan voters, let’s go through the list of current candidates for Duncan Mayor and Council and show the answers to the two questions above: What was your position on Amalgamation?; and, Do you live in Duncan?.

Let’s start with the Candidates for Mayor of Duncan (in alphabetical order by surname):

Martin BARKER

Was in favour of Amalgamation
Lives in Duncan; has a business in Duncan
Registered on Duncan Voters List

Daniel HELMER

Position on Amalgamation not known
Lives in Cowichan Bay
His name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan)

Sharon JACKSON

Against Amalgamation. [Note: Sharon Jackson also led the No Amalgamation campaign through Cowichan No Amalgamation, which was registered with ElectionsBC. Disclaimer: I volunteered on the Cowichan No Amalgamation campaign]
Lives in the CVRD [note: Sharon lived in Duncan until December 2017 when she moved to the CVRD. She has told me she plans to move back to Duncan in the near future]
Her name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan)

Michelle STAPLES

Against Amalgamation
Lives in North Cowichan
Her name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan)

Now for the candidates for City of Duncan Council (in alphabetical order by surname):

Mark ANDERSON

[Disclaimer: this website is run by Mark Anderson]

Against Amalgamation [note: actively campaigned against Amalgamation online and with Sharon’s Jackson’s Cowichan No Amalgamation campaign]
Lives in Duncan, has business based in Duncan
Registered on Duncan Voters List

Bob BROOKE

Against Amalgamation
Lives in Duncan
Registered on Duncan Voters List

Garry Bruce, candidate for Duncan City Council (photo: Garry Bruce)

Garry F. BRUCE

In favour of Amalgamation.
Lives In Duncan
Registered on Duncan Voters List

Roger BRUCE

Note: Incumbent Councillor

In favour of Amalgamation and actively campaigned in favour of Amalgamation with the Cowichan Pro Amalgamation campaign
Lives in North Cowichan, co-owns property in Duncan
His name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan)

Jenni CAPPS

Against Amalgamation
Lives in Duncan
Registered on Duncan Voters List

Tom DUNCAN

Note: Incumbent Councillor

Against Amalgamation [note: actively campaigned against Amalgamation online and volunteered with Sharon’s Jackson’s Cowichan No Amalgamation campaign
Lives In Duncan
Registered on Duncan Voters List

Gordon HEPPELL

Against Amalgamation
Lives in North Cowichan, owns a business in downtown Duncan and manages the Cowichan Merchants Building in downtown Duncan
His name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan)

Lura McCALLUM

In favour of Amalgamation
Lives in North Cowichan, co-owns a commercial building in downtown Duncan
Her name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan)

Stacy MIDDLEMISS

Against Amalgamation
Lives in North Cowichan
Her name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan)

George NEILSON

In favour of Amalgamation and actively campaigned for Cowichan Pro Amalgamation, including many online posts arguing in favour of Amalgamation
Lives in North Cowichan
His name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan)

Carol NEWINGTON

In favour of Amalgamation
Lives in Duncan
Registered on Duncan Voters List

Glen SANTICS

Against Amalgamation
Lives in Duncan
His name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan) although I know he lives in Duncan.

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CVRD Referendum Questions On The Ballot For 20 October 2018 – I Am Voting No

Posted on September 13, 2018October 19, 2018 by admin

CVRD logo on the front of the CVRD building on Ingram Street in downtown Duncan (photo by Duncan Taxpayers)

The upcoming municipal election on 20 October 2018 will also include two questions being put to Referendum by the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD).

These questions are, specifically, whether to pass or reject CVRD Bylaw No. 4201 and/or CVRD Bylaw No. 4202. There will be one Referendum question on each of these two questions.

I will be voting “No” on both these CVRD Referendum questions and my reasons are shown below.

But first, here are the CVRD explanations of these two Referendum questions, as taken directly from the CVRD website. Note that the CVRD is calling this “Assent Voting” as though the CVRD already considers public “assent” to be a foregone conclusion.

CVRD Bylaw No. 4201 – Service Establishment

“CVRD Bylaw No. 4201 – Cowichan Housing Association Annual Financial Contribution Service Establishment Bylaw, 2018“, will allow the CVRD to annually requisition up to the greater of $765,000 or an amount equal to the amount that could be raised by a property value tax of $0.04584 per $1,000 of net taxable value of land and improvements within the service area to assist the Cowichan Housing Association with costs associated with providing programs and services related to affordable housing and homelessness prevention in the Cowichan Valley.

CVRD Bylaw No. 4202 – Service Establishment

“CVRD Bylaw No. 4202 – Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Service Establishment Bylaw, 2018“, will allow the CVRD to annually requisition up to the greater of $750,000 or an amount equal to the amount that could be raised by a property value tax of $0.045050 per $1,000 of net taxable value of land and improvements within the service area to establish a service for the purpose of drinking water and watershed protection within the Cowichan Valley Regional District.

Here is why I am against these two CVRD Referendum questions:

First my reasons for opposing CVRD Bylaw No. 4201 – Cowichan Housing Association Annual Financial Contribution Service Establishment Bylaw, 2018“:

The CVRD Referendum question on housing (CVRD Bylaw No. 4201 – Service Establishment) is about raising $765,000, or possibly more, to give the Cowichan Housing Association for more studies and reports.

I don’t believe Bylaw 4201 will get a single unit of new housing built or get a single unit of new housing in existing structures.

The CVRD justifies this proposed tax, in part, by saying the Cowichan Housing Association will lobby senior levels of government for housing funds. But this can be accomplished for far less money.

One presenter at the CVRD Board meeting on this issue suggested that creating a CVRD staff position on housing issues could be created for far less money, approximately $125,00 as opposed to the $765,000 proposed in Bylaw No. 4201. That proposal made far more sense to me than what is being proposed in this CVRD Referendum question. A CVRD staff position would mean that the occupant of that position would be directly accountable to the CVRD Board, while the Cowichan Housing Association would be a non profit organization outside the CVRD administration.

Handling housing through a CVRD staff position would also mean that any funds collected by this proposed tax would remain on this CVRD books and under CVRD control. Turning these funds over the Cowichan Housing Association, as stated in the proposed Bylaw 4201, means the taxpayer funds collected are off the CVRD books and under the control of an non-profit organization outside the CVRD.

And lobbying the provincial government on housing could be accomplished by simply picking up a phone and calling our local M.L.A., Sonya Furstenau, who has the ear of government and who is very interested in housing issues. Lobbying the federal government could be done through our local M.P., Alistair MacGregor, who is also very interested in housing issues.

It would cost the CVRD nothing to pick up a phone to contact our local M.P. or M.L.A.

A common argument made in favour of Bylaw 4201 is that the CVRD needs to have a Housing Trust Fund similar to those maintained by other municipalities, such as the City of Victoria.

So I see no need for a new CVRD tax to raise $765,000 to simply give to the Cowichan Housing Association to create more studies and reports or to lobby the federal or provincial governments.

Apart from that, the CVRD is referring to this proposed new tax as a “financial contribution service.” Never trust any politician or bureaucrat who refers to proposed new taxes as a “financial contribution service.”

In short, this proposed new tax for housing will just produce more studies and reports; it will not produce any new housing. So I will be voting No on that Referendum question.

Here are some more articles against Bylaw 4201:

Ian Caesar on RichardHughes.ca – We Definitely Need More Critical Thinkers At The CVRD

CVRD Bylaw No. 4202 – Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Service Establishment Bylaw, 2018

Here are my reasons for opposing CVRD Bylaw No. 4202 – Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Service Establishment Bylaw, 2018

The water issue in proposed Bylaw No. 4202 is a bit different than the proposed housing Bylaw No. 4201. The CVRD currently has over 30 small water authorities running the water systems in small areas of the CVRD; Arbutus Ridge and Mill Bay are two examples among many.

A recent consultants’ report (the Innova Report) to the CVRD was quite scathing in its criticism of the current system of water governance in the CVRD.

Here is what the Innova Report had to say about current CVRD water governance:

“1.2. Governance

The current CVRD utility governance model and subdivision approving authorities do not support the
goals and objectives of elected officials, staff, and, most importantly, the utility users. It has become
extremely difficult to effectively manage the expectations of utility users through the current disjointed
model that essentially provides authority and leadership through the Electoral Area Services Committee.
It is also a challenge to manage growth without jurisdiction. There are two recommendations for changes
to governance in the CVRD:

Establish a Utility Commission – There should be strong consideration given to the creation of a commission candidate profile supporting professional industry experts, not specific community advocates. This would support the long-term goals of amalgamating water and wastewater utilities and ensuring that all new utilities are acceptable to overarching plans and objectives…..”

So the CVRD understandably wants to centralize control of CVRD water systems and resources under a centralized CVRD water governance authority. That actually makes some sense.

But the CVRD is trying to sell this proposed new authority to the public on the idea of combating the effects of climate change and global warming, safeguarding drinking water and protecting the watershed.

The CVRD Referendum question on Bylaw 4202 also proposes to tax the City of Duncan and Municipality of North Cowichan residents for this new water authority as well as CVRD residents. Duncan and the Municipality of North Cowichan already have their own water systems in place and have had those systems in place for decades.

So my reaction to this CVRD Referendum question is, “Why should Duncan and Municipality of North Cowichan residents be taxed by the CVRD to fund a new CVRD water authority for CVRD areas?”

I will be voting No on both the CVRD Referendum questions.

For additional commentary, here is a link to an article about CVRD water issues and Bylaw 4202 in the Cowichan Valley Citizen by CVRD Director Klaus Kuhn.

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