City of Powell River mayor Ron Woznow’s effort to have funding for the on-demand Zunga Bus terminated in the 2024 budget has failed.
At the February 27 special council meeting, during discussions on the draft five-year-financial plan, Woznow made a motion to amend draft two of the 2024 to 2028 financial plan to remove all funding for the Zunga Bus.
Woznow said that councillors had just listened to chief financial officer Mallory Denniston outline all the thought that went into saving $300,000 by cutting a significant number of projects.
“Now, we are looking at an almost $300,000 budget item, which provides a benefit to less than two per cent of the population of Powell River,” said Woznow.
He then read a comment from a resident, who stated the Zunga Bus is not operating as a bus, but as a taxi service in direct conflict with the local taxi cab company. The writer stated the Zunga Bus takes people door-to-door for $2.25 and is subsidized by the city.
“The question really is, do we want to spend close to $300,000 a year, with minimal impact, on one per cent of the population of Powell River, when we could do one of two things. We could use that money to reduce the increase in taxation. Alternatively, we could use that money to fund activities that would significantly improve Powell River for all its residents.”
Woznow said this would probably be the worst financial decision he has ever seen any entity make with money that comes from residents of the city.
Councillor Jim Palm concurred with the mayor’s comments. He said looking at the big picture, with the number of cuts that have been made, they are a drop in the bucket for where council needs to go.
Councillor Cindy Elliott said she was not in favour of the motion. She said the Zunga Bus was funded through the city’s climate action reserve fund. She said if the Zunga Bus was cancelled, it would have zero impact on the tax levy for this year, or for as long as the reserve is being used.
“I disagree that it is being used by one per cent of the population,” said Elliott. “It’s used by well over 1,000 people, probably up to 5,000 that go periodically. They are the lowest income population and are our most vulnerable. It makes it possible for people to have no cars.
“The current transit system is unworkable as a commuter service for people to get to and from work. I can’t think of a single project we could work on with that particular reserve that would benefit Powell River more than this one.”
Councillor Rob Southcott said he agreed with Elliott. He said on-demand transit has proven in other North American centres that the scheme works. He said many in his generation had cars in their late teens but that is not the case now.
“There’s an increasing number of young people that can’t afford cars anymore,” said Southcott. He added there is an increasing number of seniors that are not driving, as well, that have been depending on the Zunga Bus.
Woznow said he has led seniors' organizations in town and not once has he heard a senior say the Zunga Bus was important to them.
“I think we have to put rhetoric aside and we have to look at some hard facts,” said Woznow. “I suggested more than six months ago that if this was a real issue, people would come forward and say they will work on it and put a non-profit in place. Not a single person has come forward, willing to say this is important enough that they would contribute time and money to.”
Councillor Trina Isakson said she agreed with Elliott and Southcott. She quoted correspondence from Kiwanis Village that indicated the bus is important for low-income seniors.
“We have received concerns from people working with seniors,” said Isakson.
Palm asked if cutting the Zunga Bus would make any difference to the budget, as stated by Elliott.
Denniston said it could decrease taxes, but it would require two separate decisions. She said the Zunga Bus is funded by the climate action reserve, so if the motion is to stop funding it, it would not affect property taxes. She said, however, the reserve could be used to pay for the city’s sustainability planner, and in doing that, there would be a decrease in property taxes.
Woznow’s motion to discontinue funding for the Zunga Bus failed, with Woznow and Palm in favour.
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