White Rock residents are criticizing the City after it unveiled an electronic donation box at the popular pier to raise money for restoration.
When visitors walk along the BC landmark, they will now see the installed digital donation terminal. People can donate with a card tap, and the City says the money will go to seismic improvements.
It hasn’t been long since the City asked the public to help, but people online are expressing their anger and laughing at the initiative.
“Is this a joke?” one Facebook user asked.
The City explained that it repaired a section of the pier after the windstorm in 2018, but more work still needs to be done.
While White Rock has been seeking grants from the provincial and federal governments for the upgrades to our iconic pier, “we have regrettably been unable to secure the necessary funding of $15 million from governmental sources to address these pressing concerns,” Tracey Arthur, director of corporate administration, said.
Arthur added that the City decided to find alternative avenues to raise funds for the “essential reconstruction efforts.”
Several people also asked why the City was not able to use money from taxes.
“What? Lol… Isn’t that what taxes are for?” one person asked online.
“Omg White Rock taxes are like the largest around, now they want my loonies too!” another Facebook user commented.
However, Guillermo Ferrero, the City’s chief administrative officer, said, “White Rock has a very small tax base.”
“For example, raising $300,000 from taxpayers would require a 1% tax increase,” he explained.
“A project of the pier’s magnitude is not attainable in the short term given the amount needed. This Council has been proactively setting aside funds for the reserve that Tracey mentioned, which currently sits at $3.1 million of the $15 million needed.”
The donation box is not new to the City.
Ferrero pointed out that the City asked for donations to fund the City-run Warming Centre last winter.
“I’m not sure if this is a widely spread concept among municipalities in Canada. We may be the first exploring this type of funding option,” he added.