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| Chamber hears more about the Big Idea |
| Wednesday, May 19, 2010 |
| By: /nipawinjournal.com |
Members of the Nipawin and District Chamber of Commerce learnt more about what was described as a "once in a lifetime opportunity" for the province at their annual general meeting last week.
The meeting, which took place on Thursday, May 13, at the Kingfisher Inn, was addressed by Regina and District Chamber of Commerce CEO John Hopkins. He spoke about his organization's proposal, called the Big Idea, for debt and tax reduction in Saskatchewan.
"We think this is a great idea," he said.
Hopkins told the meeting that the Regina Chamber's proposal to the provincial government is based on the simple concept that Saskatchewan will eventually be debt free.
"It's not a case of if, but when," he emphasized.
Their recommendation is that the Government of Saskatchewan should use the savings from paying off the provincial debt to reduce the education property tax levy. If this tax reduction is equal to the reduction in the debt servicing cost, it could even mean that education property tax mill rates are eliminated completely.
"It's a sizeable impact for the average person and the average home," he said about the benefit this proposal will have for taxpayers and especially for people on fixed incomes.
He also highlighted the savings potential of the Big Idea for businesses, which in the case of very large companies can amount to millions of dollars. If implemented, the idea will be "transformational" for Saskatchewan. Instead of having one of the highest educational taxes in the country, it will have one of the lowest rates.
Hopkins emphasized that funding of the education system is still a high priority, as the country's economic future depends on qualified people. But instead of relying on an education property tax, the government should fund education with the money that will be available as a result of the reduced debt load.
"The big challenge we have is that there are so many priorities," he said about the difficulty to convince the provincial government about the soundness of the Big Idea.
According to Hopkins it is possible to pay off the provincial debt within 10 years if the government makes it a priority. He said their main task now is to get as many people as possible to show support for the idea as a way to convince the government.
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He highlighted a number of ways for members of the Nipawin and District Chamber of Commerce to get involved with the Regina Chamber's campaign.
"We will move to be the best in the country if we do this," he emphasized.
Following Hopkins' presentation, the Nipawin Chamber held its annual general meeting during a working lunch. Members approved two policy changes to ensure the effective operation of the Chamber. It included a change to the term of office for the Chamber president from one to two years.
Chamber President Jesse Kitchen said the longer term would be better for continuity in the organization. But the president will still have a choice to serve only a single year by giving such notice by Oct. 15 in his or her first year of office.
After lunch there was a second presentation by John Hopkins about downtown revitalization. He previously worked with the City of Regina on their downtown revitalization projects.
He highlighted a number of revitalization strategies. He considered a clean and safe program for the downtown area to be the most important opportunity. It will include activities such as road and sidewalk sweeping, litter and graffiti removal, and a heightened security presence with regular police drive-bys or security cameras.
A façade enhancement program can also be very successful once property owners buy into the idea. The conversion of the top portions of older buildings into residential units can help to make those buildings more viable and the downtown area more vibrant. A promotions program with various festivals and events will help to get more people downtown.
Hopkins said a street enhancement program can be very expensive. It will include sidewalk renewal and the installation of benches, planter barrels, hanging baskets, garbage receptacles and streetlight standards as well as a mural program.
"You guys got great murals here, they look real nice," he said.
According to Hopkins a revitalization program requires a working committee with links to government, business, the media, arts and culture as well as members with a variety of skills.
"It's vital to get input right from the start," he said about the need for surveys and focus group meetings, as it also allows people to be involved. The collected information must be compiled properly to show people they have been heard.
A plan must then be prepared that outlines the cost and who will pay for it. There should be a survey of the plan to give stakeholders an opportunity to say what they think about it. The survey results can be used to review the plan.
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