@Richmond City Council: Why can taxpayers' money be spent like this? I have carefully reviewed the procurement and capital project documents released by City of Richmond. The more I read, the more I feel that the Council should explain a few very simple questions to taxpayers: Why are these projects so expensive? Let's first take a look at Gilbert Road Multi Use Pathway. Only about 750 meters, but the project budget reaches $4.75 million, which is equivalent to: Approximately $6.33 million/km. And Richmond's own Steveston Highway Multi Use Pathway Phase 1&2, about 4 kilometers, with a budget of $11.5 million, approximately: $2.88 million / km。 That is to say, within the same city and belonging to the protected cycling/pedestrian pathway, the surface unit cost differs by about 2.2 times. Of course, the signal lights, lighting, intersections, and other infrastructure scope of the two projects are not exactly the same. (Richmond City Council) But this is exactly what I want to ask the Council: Where will the extra money be spent? Don't just tell residents that 'two projects have different scopes'. Please list the numbers: How much does road engineering cost? How much do signals cost? How much does lighting cost? How much do utilities cost? How much does engineering cost? How much does project management cost? How much does the contingency cost? If this 2.2-fold difference is completely reasonable, then it should be easy to explain. ⸻ I want to see others: Steveston Park Washroom and Electrical Distribution Centre — $2,774,476 Not $277000. Yes: $2.77 MILLION。 The contract amount listed in Richmond's official 2025 Procurement Report in black and white is $2774476. (Richmond City Council) I know it's not just a toilet, it also includes the Electrical Distribution Centre. Then we should ask the Council to answer even more: How much does the restroom cost? How much does the Electrical Distribution Centre cost? How much does the underground pipeline cost? How much does site work cost? How much does it cost for design, management, and contingency? Why taxpayers can only see: Washroom and Electrical Distribution Centre $2,774,476 A total and then it's over? If this price is completely reasonable, why can't the details be made public? ⸻ And then there is: Richmond Ice Centre roof truss repainting — $784,675 Not rebuilding the ice rink. The procurement project name is: Structural Roof Truss Repainting Contract amount: $784675. (Richmond City Council) Nearly $800000 is allocated for this repainting project. I would like to ask: How many square meters are there? How many steel structures are included? How much does it cost to treat the old coating? How much does scaffolding and construction cost? How much does paint/coating cost? How much does labor cost? What is the final price per unit area? Without these numbers, how can residents determine whether $784675 is reasonable or not? ⸻ also: Corporate Leadership Training Program — $350,100 three years $350100. This is the number in City's own procurement report. (Richmond City Council) Excuse me? How many employees will participate? How many hours of training are there in total? How many training days are there? What is the average cost per person? How much does the consultant charge per day? What measurable results were produced in the end? Taxpayers who spent $350100 should at least know what they bought. ⸻ But all these numbers are just a fraction compared to the largest project: Works Yard Replacement — $410 MILLION The City file shows that the entire program is approximately 400000 square feet, and the capital budget forecast ultimately accumulates to: $410,000,000 This also includes 30% Project Continuity. (Richmond City Council) The City's own funding table is written very clearly: 2023：$30M 2024：$70M 2026：$74M 2029：$78M 2030：$78M 2032：$80M TOTAL：$410 MILLION。 (Richmond City Council) Simply divide: $410M ÷ 400,000 sq. ft. ≈ $1,025 / sq. ft. I know - this number cannot be directly used as the cost of ordinary construction. Because it also includes yard storage, parking, utilities, design temporary facilities、 Equipment, project management, future price increases, and contingencies. But the problem lies precisely here: Why do Richmond taxpayers only see a huge number of $410 million, but find it difficult to see at a glance how this $410 million is actually composed? Please ask the Council to release the complete breakdown: Actual building construction：$ ? Ground improvement：$ ? Flood protection：$ ? Utilities：$ ? Parking：$ ? Temporary facilities：$ ? Consultants：$ ? Project management：$ ? Furniture & equipment：$ ? Escalation：$ ? Contingency：$ ? A public project worth $410 MILLION is not an excessive demand. Moreover, according to City documents, in order to support the financing strategy of this project, the city government has also proposed to continue maintaining property tax increase for infrastructure replacement in the coming years. (Richmond City Council) So this is not 'government's own money'. This is money from Richmond taxpayers. ⸻ The Council often talks about: “Transparency” “Accountability” “Value for money” Very good. So now please answer directly: Why are these projects so expensive? Why is there such a significant difference in unit cost for similar projects? Why haven't projects worth millions or even billions of dollars placed the unit cost and complete cost breakdown that residents can easily understand in the most prominent position? Has our money been spent too casually? If the answer is no,