MNL 'dumbfounded' by Deer Park fire protection predicament
The chief executive officer of Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador says he doesn't understand why property owners in Deer Park on the Salmonier Line are turning down firefighting services that would cost them $45 a year.
"I'm dumbfounded," said Craig Pollett, referring to a dispute that has pitted the Deer Park-Vineland Road Local Service District with the nearby Town of Holyrood.
Holyrood has informed the local service district that emergency services will be discontinued on Feb. 28, following an inability to reach a deal over what property owners would pay for town-provided services.
"It's 45 bucks — a year. There's people paying 45 bucks a month for that sort of thing, and more," Pollett told CBC News.
The towns and cities that are MNL's members have long had problems with local service districts, particularly over what municipal leaders call an unfair demand on services from neighbouring towns.
Pollett said the peace of mind that comes with fire protection is worth the fee, and added that the Deer Park area is not unlike small towns in the region.
"It's not just a dirt road into a bunch of cabins," he said.
"They are becoming communities and the fact is it cost money to send a fire truck out there."
Pollett said he does not agree with comments that Deer Park residents - many of whom use their properties only on weekends and the warmer months - should not pay for services they don't use.
"To me, it's kind of like saying, bcause what I've heard before is people saying, 'Well, you know, we rarely have fires out here,'" he said.
"Well, you only need one, right? You only need one bad one to make 45 bucks seem like a really, really good deal."