Residents concerned about Cambridge theatre
Posted Mar 1, 2011 05:40:09 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
As Cambridge council prepares to finalize its budget, concerned residents are gathering support to postpone a key item.
The group of more than two dozen residents has started a website called Cambridge Tax Revolt, which encourages other residents to express their concerns to their ward councillor.
Group member Gord Hobbs, who ran unsuccessfully for Ward One in Cambridge in last fall’s municipal election, says he’s not against funding for the arts or even the proposed new Performing Arts Centre, which will include a Drayton Entertainment Theatre.
Hobbs’ concern is that Cambridge residents don’t fully understand what he describes as a $20-million project.
“Nobody was actually looking at the hard facts, the details behind it, who’s behind it and how much it’s going to cost,” Hobbs insists. “And as I started to ask questions of officials, including the Mayor and the Chief Administrative Officer, they wouldn’t answer them.”
The project will rely on $6-million in funding from both the provincial and federal governments as well as another $6-million from the municipality, $5.1-million of which will be borrowed.
But Hobbs believes the true cost is $20-million because the city is also providing $2-million worth of land for the project, leaving Cambridge on the hook for $8-million.
That aside, Hobbs is also distressed by the description that some funding will come from upper levels of government. To him, there’s only one taxpayer.
“You pay taxes and I pay taxes so to say this is costing Cambridge residents $6-million is an attempt at some kind of smoke and mirrors,” Hobbs says. “We all pay taxes so it’s costing the taxpayer $20-million.”
Hobbs and his group plan to attend Monday’s council meeting to encourage city council to postpone construction of the new Performing Arts Centre. He’s hoping the website generates enough momentum to get even more people to turn out for that meeting.
And if council still decides to move forward with the project?
“Then we will actually start to rally. We will not stop,” Hobbs warns. “We’re going to make this a national issue.”
Cambridge council will approve its budget at next Monday’s meeting.
