Transcript paying more to the province - Whiteshell Cottagers Association

President’s Report
Issues related to Cottage Service Fees and Land Rent
•Provincial Government launches a new strategy for Manitoba’s Provincial Parks
•This strategy seems to focus mainly on how to raise more money from
cottagers than on any other area of interest.
•This report will summarize :
•A time line of relevant events related to Fees and Rents
•The public response of the WCA
•The legal response of the WCA
•Plans for future activities
1991
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Promise of greater Participation of
Cottagers in Decision-Making re level and
type of services desired
Promise of Parks Director
1993-2007
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1993-New Parks Act;
Specifies the Minister to report to
cottagers and other stakeholders
◦ The Act: 18(2) (3), 20
 owners to review cost and level of service and fees to be
charged
 Annual estimate of costs in advance for next year
 Financial statements to be available for review
◦ Cottagers Handbook
 Pay only for services available to you, if a service is not
available, not charged for it!
 Opportunity to review and give feedback on level and cost
of services on regular annual basis
 Committees to be established by Parks to enhance
review of service fees and levels of services
Time line Continued
1983- 1999,
Progressive increase in equivalent of
mill rate for leased land, effective
doubling by stealth of Park taxes from
2% to 4%
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-Until 2002 annual cost estimates and
budgets were actually provided to
cottagers and other stakeholders
Time Line 2003-7, Legal Action
2003- Ministry non-compliant with requirements of the
Act
 2003-5 growing discontent over apparent financial
mismanagement in the Park District
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2005-7 Legal action by Cottagers Association
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2007 Settlement of legal action in favour of cottagers
◦ promise of new financial management system by 2009
◦ promise of extensive communication with cottagers/
stakeholders re implementation of new system
2009 Deadline for Implementation
Timeline Concluded: New Parks Fee
Strategy
2009-2013 Essentially no communication
between cottagers and parks re fees and
services "you don't want to know”
 March 2013 Announcement of NEW PARKS
STRATEGY, a plan to increase fees and rates
in Provincial Parks
 …up to 500% increases in service fees
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… up to 700% increases in lease rates
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Aug 2013 introduction of the idea of a $3000
per year cap, for , ?1 year, 3 years or 4 years.
Three pronged response of WCA
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First, we have engaged in a public affairs battle
to correct the spin that has been a major feature
of the Government and Free Press campaign
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Second, we have engaged our legal advisor to
guide us in taking the Ministry to court, if
necessary
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Third, we are planning an intensive
communication strategy to maximally impact the
government and ministry with demands from
cottage owners to provide information on their
costs and fees in accordance with the Parks Act.
Charge Countercharge
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Government charge…Cottagers have had a free
ride re costs for ten years.
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Counterpoints,
1) the reason that Parks has been slow in
updating costs is because they have had a
hopeless financial management system
2) why should there be any increase in fees when
services have been declining and
3) inflation in costs has been very low
4) Show us the data on increased per cottage
increase in costs and we will pay our fair share.
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Point Counterpoint
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Government charge…Cottagers are free loaders
and are being subsidized by Manitobans.
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Counterpoint…government data reveals that we
are in fact paying more to the province than we
are costing in the parks...
Government charge….Cottagers are paying less
than "market value" rents for properties.
 Counterpoint…our estimates for raw land value
are in line with market values, government
confuses municipal levels with include services
and school taxes to falsely depict raw land value
for leased or owned cottages
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Point Counterpoint
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Government charge …land appraisals have not been
updated since 1983
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Counterpoint…appraisals are at the discretion of the
ministry. We should not be held accountable for their
foot dragging and/or incompetence. Also notable is that
the actual rents rose by 100% between 1983 and 1999
due to a doubling of the "mill rate".
Government charge…cottagers are fat cats who are
free loading on the general public
 Counterpoint…cottagers are a slice of Manitoba
citizenry…most cottagers are ordinary hard working
Manitobans living the dream that this very government
promotes …affordable cottaging!! Gov’t policy
converting parks into fat cat playgrounds
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Legal Response
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We remain dissatisfied with the failure of
the Minister to do his duty with respect to
the parks act and the 2007 settlement
agreement:
◦ -We think the information that the ministry
has released to us remains deficient,
◦ -We believe that the Ministry has yet to
demonstrate to us that a fair system of
apportionment of costs in the Park has been
implemented, 5 years after the fact, let alone
that it complies with the requirements of the
Parks Act
Communication Strategy
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1) Strengthen our relationships with
similar organizations
◦ meeting with provincial and Lake of the
Woods Cottage Associations prior to AGM
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2) Ensure that the public continues to
understand our position.
◦ Stick to our simple messages
Communication Strategy
Cottagers believe in paying our share
of costs in Provincial Parks
We believe that Minister should be
bound by the words and intention of
Parks Act Sections 18-20
Cottagers believe in the longstanding
bipartisan parks policy of affordable
Cottaging
Communication
Continue to actively inform the public
of our position and offset political
propaganda from the Ministry
 Make sure our own MLA’s know our
stance
 Ensure that the Ministry lives up to its
obligation to properly share information,
as reiterated by Mr. Selinger himself.
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