Judith Fisher Centre board of directors Frequently Asked Questions information

UPDATED FAQ’s and answers from the JFHC Board of Directors July 14, 2018

Why does it cost $45,000?

Accounting and Legal: $1,200

Advertising and Promotion: $351

Bank Charges and Interest: $557

Fundraising purchases: $638

Insurance: $7949

Licenses and dues: $80

Repairs, Maintenance, and Admin: $47,612 (approx. see

addendum “A”)

TOTAL: $58,387

What is the tax money going to pay for?

It will be used to cover ongoing operations expenses for the JFC. This direct tax will cover almost 70% of these costs and we will still need to fundraise for the balance.

Who gets to vote?

From the Powell River Regional District website:

Sections 64 – 80 of the Local Government Act govern the registration of electors.

Qualifications – Resident Elector
You may vote as a resident elector if you:

are a Canadian citizen;

are at least 18 years of age or older on voting day;

have resided in BC for 6 consecutive months before you register to vote; and

have lived in the electoral area where you will be voting for 30 days prior to registration.

All residents who meet these qualifications can vote. It does not matter whether you rent or own your home.

Qualifications – Non-Resident Property Elector
You may vote as a non-resident property elector if you:

have owned property in the electoral area where you wish to vote for at least 30 days before registering;

are not a resident elector in that electoral area;

are a Canadian citizen;

are at least 18 years of age or older on voting day; and

have resided in BC for 6 consecutive months before you register to vote.

Non-resident property owners may only vote once for a single property. If two or more persons own the property, the majority of owners must designate one of the owners to be the elector for that property, and that designation must be provided in writing.

No corporation is entitled to vote. Non-residents cannot register or vote if their property is registered in a corporate name.

Sections 66 and 73 of the Local Government Act govern the registration and voting of non-resident property electors.

Voter Registration & Identification
In the Powell River Regional District, the registration of all voters takes place at the time of voting. When registering, voters are required to make a declaration that they meet the qualifications listed above.

All voters must present two pieces of identification (at least one with a signature). Picture identification is not necessary. The identification must prove both residency and identity. Examples: driver’s license, medical/care card, passport, utility bill, tax notice, letter, etc.

Non-resident property electors:  in addition to the identification noted above, non-resident property electors must also produce proof that they are entitled to register in relation to their property (a tax notice or proof of title is best). And, if applicable, they must also provide written consent from the majority of the property owners.

You must be a Canadian citizen to vote, apparently, even if you own property on Lasqueti.

It appears that voting by mail will be an option and we will confirm with Powell River about this and update.

How much does it cost?

Residential property owners will be assessed $28.70/$100,000 of residential property value. So if your property is valued at $300,000, the tax added to your annual property taxes will be $86.10 (28.70 x 3).

Compare this against one visit for one person to medical facilities in Parksville and not having to travel across and get to the appointment and spend excess travel time.

Don’t we already pay taxes for health care? Is this double taxation?

This proposed tax is NOT a form of double taxation but IS direct taxation (in which we islanders determine how much the JFS costs to run on a yearly basis, collect it via a property tax as described in question 3. The money goes specifically to run the center and not into general revenue). In other words, there is no governmental control in this money.

Double taxation refers to being doubly taxed on income. This would occur, for example, a corporation was taxed on its income and then that same income was taxed when it was dispersed as a dividend to its shareholders. That is the hallmark of double taxation.

The reality in BC is that the taxes Canadians pay for Health Care, DO NOT cover all aspects of delivering health care and they do not pay for the running of the Judith Fisher Health Center. As another example, many hospitals and most clinics in BC have mandatory fundraising programs (eg hospital Lotteries) to cover not just capital costs but also ongoing operating costs associated with delivering efficient state of the art Health Care. These are expenses above and beyond what the government covers in basic healthcare costs.

If approved, would this new tax be covered by the Homeowners Grant?

Islanders may be entitled to have this new tax covered by their Home Owner Grant if they qualify for it. If approved, then this new tax will probably be added into the Local Services section of the tax bill and then it looks like the homeowner grants do apply. However, this is still uncertain.

Did the Board have a plan for how to obtain funds for operating expenses?

Yes. However, the expense was underestimated and our fundraising has peaked and lost some enthusiasm. When we have more cottages build and rented out, we will have more revenue and will not have to rebuild power or water or septic infrastructure. The Health Ministry, for example, has made demands on our water system and the operation of this is much more expensive than what we had planned.

When is the Health Center open?

Mondays and Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM [Closed on Statutory Holidays]

The respite suite is always open and ready to house one needy person at a time.

What are the activities that go on at the Center?

Weekly clinic with a nurse; quarterly doctor/nurse clinic; tele-health consultations between patients and doctors or between the Oceanside Hospice Society and islanders for grief counseling;

Meetings: of the Lasqueti Local Trust Committee and APC, meetings of the LIAS Board, meetings by other groups including Pete’s Lake Water Users Society, Comedy Improv Workshops; Meditation Group; Specialty Training Workshops (suicide prevention & naloxone kit use], and Community Volunteer Income Tax Preparation Program

Wellness Faire

Storage area for food for the LCA food bank program

Depot for the drop off of items for the Christmas Hamper program support groups;

Use of bathing and washer/dryer facilities when nurse or staff on site;

Use of a respite suite;

Providing assistance to individuals regarding government programs;

Loaning of medical equipment for short term use.

Debriefing space for first responders

When are more cottages going to be built?

Architectural plans are being drawn now and a general plan has been approved. There is a list of people interested and we have developed a process for selecting people.

Will there be general information meetings to discuss other questions and elaborate on these?

Yes, we will have monthly meetings and the schedule for the next one will be on Saturday, July 28 at 1:30 pm. This will be at the Hall or at the JFHC, depending on the expectation of how many people will participate.

Addendum A Operating, Maintenance, and Admin expenses for 2017

The accounting rules were not consistent through the entire year. As a result, it is a challenge to categorize each item with impunity but we’ve done our best and will update if there is significant discrepancy. Here is the breakdown for the operating expenses:

Maintenance on water, power, and heat systems: $14,417

Cleaning: $1,010

Administrator: $20,520

Fuel - diesel (includes delivery): $1,718

Propane: $181

Wood – 5 cords $1,000

Water testing charges: $4,521

Misc freight: $200

Parts for water and heat systems: $1100

Pete’s Lake annual fee-membership and usage: $280

Internet annual fee: $600

Supplies: $200

Tree trimming/removal: $865

Misc: $1,000

Total: $47,612