Saint John Mayor Don Darling. (Image: Brad Perry)
Still no movement in toward a regional ice strategy for recreational rinks.
Mayor Don Darling wants the region to figure out a cost-sharing model for ice rinks that is fair to taxpayers, as the current one isn’t.
This is an issue that has been on the table for over a year with no decisive action.
“Many citizens are counting on us. They see us as leaders, and they’re wondering why we can’t just put a model together that’s regionally fair,” said Darling.
During a Fundy Regional Service Commission meeting on Monday, Darling introduced a motion to redistribute operating costs based on rink usage.
That motion did not pass, but a third one asking commission members to review his recommendation at their city councils did pass.
Darling said during a council meeting Monday that if the region cannot come to a consensus, Saint John will have to “move on,” something he’s hoping won’t have to happen.
“I’m hopeful it’s a yes. If it’s a no, then we’ll just move in another direction and we will put something in place that is fair and equitable for Saint John taxpayers,” he said.
He said this will likely be a “non-resident user fee model” for people who want to use Saint John rinks. This is something he thinks however will negatively impact the region’s relationship.
“It’s not the right way to go. The right way to go is for us to work together, for the provincial government to play a key role, and truly defining a range of regional cooperative opportunities,” he said.
Darling said he’s remaining hopeful for now, but more needs to be done.
