With less than two weeks left for citizens to register their opposition to the city's borrowing of $59 million to finance the building of the new civic centre, a familiar face with a lot of community connections has decided to lend a hand to the fight.
Current school trustee and former city councillor Casey Cook has offered to help James Crosty collect the thousands of signatures needed to oppose the proposed borrowing.
"I was in dropping off me and my wife's forms and we got talking," said Cook of his conversation with Crosty. "I said I would help with talking to other people in the city about signing forms. I offered to help out because I feel very strongly that people of all political stripes and ideas should be opposed to this.
"For me, it's an issue of prudence and how a city protects its assets. I'm very, very concerned about how this will affect the Massey Theatre and how it affects our schools. ... I believe the city just doesn't have the background to manage the risks in a project of this magnitude. The downside is incredible, and it's just too great for the city."
Cook denied that his involvement is political, saying that while he's "cordial" with Crosty, the two weren't on the same political side in the 2011 civic election.
"I'm a Voice guy and he wasn't," said Cook. "I'm just someone who's concerned about the city's ability to manage a project like this. If the private sector has backed out of a project like this, then I'm surprised the city has taken it on. My involvement is purely for the purposes of (saying) that if the city wants to borrow $59 million, then you need to get voter approval for this."
Cook and Crosty do hold one common denominator between them: both unsuccessfully tried to win the mayoral race against Wayne Wright, with Cook losing in 2005 and Crosty in 2008.
With time running short, Cook said he will do his best to help, even if he knows the odds are stacked against him.
"This is a very difficult mountain to climb," said Cook. "It's the summer and this timing makes it difficult."
The campaign against the borrowing comes after the City of New Westminster launched an "alternative approval process" in which electors who are opposed to the loan authorization bylaw must sign forms and submit them to city hall by 4: 30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 7. Residents who support the bylaw don't have to do anything.
The city is able to proceed with adopting the loan authorization bylaw unless at least 10 per cent of the estimated number of electors in the city (4,528 people) sign an alternative approval process elector response form. If there are sufficient petitions to oppose the loan authorization bylaw, the city would have to go to a referendum to get support from taxpayers to borrow the funds.
Crosty has been leading the charge on getting the required number of signatures needed for a successful opposition to the borrowing and has made the forms available at his business, STC Creative, at 239 Sixth St. between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays.
The forms can also be picked up at the reception desk at city hall or be printed off from the city's website.
The borrowing of the money became an issue when the Uptown Property Group decided against building an office tower on top of the future civic centre on Columbia Street, and the city decided to proceed with construction of the office development on its own.
The city is proposing to borrow up to $59 million that would be put toward the $94 million project.
The $94-million total budget includes $41.5 million for the civic centre, $12.5 million for the parking structure (to be used by the office tower and the civic facility), and $40 million for the office development.
The city will use $43 million in casino money known as "development assistance compensation" for the project.
www.twitter.com/AlfieLau
