Dear Editor
This letter is in response to the letter of Oct. 9, Cache Creek Mayor Seat Contested.
I was very concerned with the secret purchase of the land north of the park and thought I would look into it. I went to the Oct. 27 council meeting and a question was asked about the land purchase. Mayor Ranta answered that they had paid the appraised value. I was very interested in seeing this appraisal because I could not believe any agricultural flood zone land would be worth $27,000 per acre.
I requested to see the appraisal from the Village and was given an appraisal that was not valid. It was an old appraisal and in my opinion the comparatives are misleading: Two out of the nine skewed the value. One was a serviced view lot in Cache Creek for $41,000/acre, and the other was land in Chase at $39,000/acre. How are these comparable to agricultural flood zone land?
Does the council think Cache Creek citizens are stupid? Why the secrets? Are we on a need to know basis? I wonder if we will ever see the minutes from the in camera session?
What was the motivation to pay $27,000/acre ($135,000 total) for land we cannot use for years to come? Since the deal is completed, why are they still refusing to disclose the details of the process? Why not utilize the park we have?
What a waste of money!
Well, I went to the Cache Creek Candidate Forum and a question was raised: Do you think the Village should purchase industrial land? The answer was “No” from Mayor Ranta and all the incumbent councillors. Check out the all candidates forum on YouTube.
This council thinks we should spend tax dollars on recreational land that will only increase our operating cost and not invest in industrial or commercial land that would eventually increase the tax base. They are preaching fiscal restraint, but they are not practicing it.
We really need to question the logic behind these types of decisions as they seem to foster a degree of distrust towards council.
Judy Davison
Cache Creek