Residents of an R.M. of Orkney neighbourhood on the edge of Yorkton are hoping today's municipal election will bring them a council more receptive to their needs.
Lori McCallum, acting as a spokesperson for her neighbours in the Collacott subdivision, said they are "sick and tired" of the current reeve and council ignoring their issues.
Specifically, the residents complain that although their tax rates have doubled over the past 20 years, nothing has been done to improve the subdivision, which is just west of Yorkton on the other side of Deer Park Golf and Country Club.
"If a person were to travel here they would be wondering where the horses and buggies were," McCallum wrote in a letter signed "Residents of R.M. of Orkney (Collacott subdivision)."
She said the neighbourhood has no policing, no sidewalks, no streetlights, no fire hydrants, no pathways and no parks.
"It is time to think about and thank the residents of R.M. of Orkney for their hard-earned property tax money and give some of it back to improving the quality of life for the people who live here, not help out along with the provincial government the big companies with tax incentives and fixing bridges, highways etc., for the big trucks that are owned by these companies."
The current reeve, Barclay Westerhaug, said council has heard the complaints, but there is not much they can do.
"It's not in our budget, basically," he said, adding he has suggested to the residents a local improvement levy as a possible solution.
Dale Rhinas, who is running against Westerhaug in the election today, said he will not know what can be done until after the election.
"I have a strategic plan and, if I'm elected, I will sit down with my council and decide what needs to be done," he said.
"The roads in there are bad, but I don't know if they're any worse than anywhere else."
Whoever is elected may have to deal with a more activist citizenry.
"It's about time we the residents of R.M. of Orkney (Collacott Subdivision) stop hiding and being embarrassed as to where we live," the letter states. "Stand up for ourselves and make changes for today and the future of this close-knit community."
