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School District heads into the black MoNique taMMiNga Times Reporter
Miranda GATHERCOLE/Langley Times
Artist Melodie Herbert paints an image of ripe apples during Heritage Apple Day at Derby Reach Park on Saturday.
Pot vote dismays councillor UBCM decision to lobby feds on marijuana decriminalization misguided – Ferguson Natasha JoNes Times Reporter
Township Councillor Steve Ferguson said he is surprised and disappointed that delegates at the Union of B.C. Municipalities passed a motion calling on the federal government to decriminalize marijuana. The vote passed narrowly by a show of hands, and Ferguson said that there may have been a different outcome had electronic voting been used. He and Al Siebring, a councillor from North Cowichan, challenged the method of voting, but were overruled. The UBCM held its annual convention in Victoria last week. The vote on decriminalizing marijuana occurred on Sept. 26, shortly after a debate which featured Geoff Plant, a former B.C. attorney-general who favours relaxing pot
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laws, and Dr. Darryl Plecas, a UniSo where is the benefit . . . a sysversity of the Fraser Valley criminoltem that is taxed like tobacco . . . ogist who holds the opposing view. That’s a big stretch.” Ferguson told the delegates that Ferguson retired last year as a “legalizing marijuana will not solve teacher and high school counsellor the gang or violence problems assowith the Delta School District. ciated with the illegal drug.” Working with students who have Those supporting the resolution learning and behavioural problems, indicated that it would stop gangs, he encountered many who were save police costs, and generate dependent on marijuana use. much needed income for municipal Speaking from Victoria on Thurscoffers. day, Ferguson said a Delta School Steve It won’t work that way, Ferguson District study found a “definite corFerguson said. relation between chronic use and a “I was surprised at the level of lack of motivation, reduced IQ and misunderstanding. The gangs aren’t going cognitive ability.” to go away. “We had known this for years,” Ferguson “In fact, they could go into greater pro- said. duction to supply the U.S. market, and we “Heavy use really affects the students’ won’t be reducing police numbers in our grades, focus, and general interest. It’s a real communities. concern.”
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An albatross hanging around Langley School District’s neck will be lifted two years earlier than expected. The district is expected to pay off its $13 million deficit, incurred from accounting errors in the years up to 2009, by the end of this year, said secretarytreasurer David Green at the Tuesday, Sept. 26 Board of Education meeting. The ministry of education stepped in, requiring a repayment plan after it was learned the district had accumulated the massive deficit. At the board meeting, Green told trustees that not only will the deficit be paid off, but the district is projecting a surplus of $839,000. Trustees debated at length about whether or not to hold that surplus money in an emergency/ rainy day account or put it back into classrooms today. The ministry recommends that the district carry a surplus of two per cent so it doesn’t go into a deficit situation again. A two per cent surplus amounts to around $3.1 million, said trustee Rob McFarlane. “That may seem like a lot but in this district, that is about a week’s worth of expenses,” he said. In the end, trustees voted to set up the rainy day fund. Green said the board can tell staff when and where they want the money released to at a later date. The Auditor General was brought in to audit the district’s book and the office has just come back prepared to issue a statement of approval “which is a really good thing,” said Green. Any district audited by the Auditor General is held to a much higher standard, said board chair Wendy Johnson.
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