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1985
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2010
F RIDAY , N OVEMBER 5, 2010
36 Pages
YOUR SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS, SPORTS, WEATHER AND ENTERTAINMENT ❭❭ abbotsfordtimes.com
BC’sNextPremier?
3.5% tax increase approved Could climb to 4.5% in 2011 ROCHELLE BAKER RBaker@abbotsfordtimes.com
A
3.5 per cent tax increase to the municipal operating budget was approved in principle at the Abbotsford city council meeting Monday night. Including the one per cent increase for the capital budget being recommended by city staff, residents could be facing a 4.5 per cent tax increase in 2011.
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In public service and politics you never rule anything out.
There will be lots of time . . . Today is not that day.
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. . . hopefuls will line up . . . I’m not one of them.
– MLA John van Dongen
– MLA Mike de Jong RAFE ARNOTT RArnott@abbotsfordtimes.com
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– MLA Randy Hawes
First reported @
abbotsfordtimes.com
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wo local MLAs are not denying the possibility of a Liberal leadership run. Yet. Premier Gordon Campbell’s sudden resignation Wednesday triggered a wave of speculation about who would replace the flagging Liberal leader. While Abbotsford MLAs John van Dongen and Mike de Jong did not rule out a run at leading the party, Mission MLA Randy Hawes flat-out rejected a bid to be premier. “There will be a leadership review as soon as possible. The leadership hopefuls will start to line up . . . I’ll tell you with certainty that I’m not one of them.” Mike de Jong was serving double-duty in the Liberal
caucus until Oct. 25, holding the posts of solicitor general and attorney general, until Rich Coleman was handed the reigns of SG in a cabinet shuffle. The Abbotsford-West MLA deferred comment on his candidacy for B.C.’s top job. “There will be lots of time in the days ahead for people to talk about that. Today is not that day,” de Jong said. John van Dongen was less vague. “One thing I’ve learned: in public service and politics you never rule anything out,” he offered. “I’ll not rule anything out at this point.” see PREMIER, page A16
– RAFE ARNOTT FILE/TIMES
Premier Gordon Campbell’s sudden resignation Wednsday came as a shock to many in his caucus.
“All of us have to make a decision which won’t be any easier if we do it in a month’s time . . .” – Mayor George Peary
Council can revisit the number, but did not direct city staff to take any further action or to come up with a new proposal. The operating budget includes city operations and the police budget. A 3.5 per cent increase would funnel $2 million to the Abbotsford Police Department while $1.5 million would go to city operations. A one per cent rise in taxes equates to roughly $1 million of new revenue. The operating budget for 2010 saw a total of $40 million allocated to police and $82 million to city operation for a total of $122 million. see TAXES, page A27
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