An online survey aimed at ratepayers in the Cannifton Rural and Cannifton Urban tax billing areas regarding the route 9 Belleville Transit bus serving the area should be available soon.
Monday city council approved the survey’s questions, with the focus being whether people living in the Cannifton area would approve of paying an extra $210 a year in taxes to partially pay for the service.
The $210 extra would be on a home assessed at $300,000.
The gas tax is paying for Route 9 until September but that source will end in October.
Councillor Paul Carr says the survey results will be just one part of the decision making process.
“So the fact that the survey was developed, included input and approved by council it’s just more information to consider at budget time. You can choose to not consider it, choose to ignore it but it’s there.”
Carr said council has to consider ridership stats, and such options as route changes or an on-demand service.
In a recorded vote only Mayor Mitch Panciuk voted against the survey and its questions as he maintained such a survey should be sent to all taxpayers in the city, stressing that taxpayers regularily pay for many public services that they rarely or never use.
The survey will be on the city’s website and promoted through traditional and social media.
