Better investment to buy than rent, CAO

Richard Froese
South Peace News

Big Lakes County may consider buying a house as a way to recruit staff.

At its regular meeting June 22, council tabled a recommendation to a July meeting to purchase a house which can be used to accommodate senior county staff.

“Over the past many years, council has supported house rentals for doctors and other professionals,” reads a report from CAO Bill Kostiw.

He suggests that the county could partner with the Town of High Prairie to purchase a house that could benefit both municipalities.

“Recruitment of senior county staff always involves housing issues,” Kostiw says.
“It may be in the county’s and senior employees’ best interest if the county owned one or two houses.”

Kostiw says it would be a better investment for the county to buy a house than to rent and waste money.

“We did at one time look at a duplex,” Reeve Ken Matthews says.
“There are lots of houses for sale.”

The house could cost about $250,000 for a reasonable three-bedroom bungalow, says Kostiw.
“We all pray the economy will pick up and the resale, if required, should be higher,” Kostiw says.
“This would enhance recruitment of professionals for all municipal and related services.”

To purchase a house, council would require a motion to transfer funds from a capital reserve, Kostiw notes.