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Belcarra Mayor Neil Belenkie resigns over water supply frustrations

Mayor of Village of Belcarra resigns over water fight – Oct 14, 2020

The mayor of Belcarra says he has resigned after a proposed bylaw amendment that would help the village’s water system for firefighting was voted down at the last council meeting.

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Neil Belenkie, who has worked as a volunteer firefighter, said he decided to resign because council refused to sell land to pay for a water system upgrade that would help firefighters.

“I was elected to improve the water system and they’ve made that impossible and there’s nothing I can do other than resign in protest for what is I think a broken system,” he said.

“I didn’t take this job on because I wanted to be a mayor. I just wanted to do it for one term anyways — that would have been enough time to improve our water system, but I can’t do it now. It cannot be done.”

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Belenkie said there were two instances in which firefighters ran out of water while battling house fires. He said firefighters have a one-hour supply of water and adding another hour of water capacity would cost about $4 million.

Belenkie said he hopes other levels of government will give the village more funding to improve the water system.

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Global News has reached out to other councillors, including Coun. Liisa Wilder, who said she had no comment.

The village will need to have a by-election.

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