Recently, Mayor Dan Rogers gave a speech to our local branch of the Chamber of Commerce. Rogers said that "Our tax levy, to maintain services, would need a boost of 5.6 per cent."
He went on to say that by cutting $1.3 M out of the budget and crossing off some "wish list" items, the city can keep the tax levy to a 4 per cent increase for this year.
So what we're being told is, we should really have a 5.6 per cent increase, but the city has managed to keep it to 4 per cent by cutting a paltry $1.3 M out of the budget and we should be happy that the increase is only 4 per cent.
Over the past 400 days (since they were elected) we have been told that we need to spend money and increase taxes if we are going to keep services (e.g. road repairs) at the level we are used to. But an awful lot of people would say that the level we are used to is simply not good enough.
Our mayor says city council has been tightening its belt during these 400 days, but he was obviously talking about their collective trouser belts, because we have not seen any cuts to city spending up to this point.
Although, maybe the cost of the communications manager position costing $113,000 or the new garbage truck the city is planning to buy for possibly $345,000, or the shed to store the truck costing $115,000, or even the lot the city bought for the performing arts centre for $520,000, or the $300,000 for the Road to the Roar, or the $8.7 M for consultants fees over the last two years is actually tightening your belt.
If it is, then indeed the city has done a marvelous job.
Our mayor went on to mention some of the major accomplishments the city has made and while some of them should be applaudable, right now all people want to know is, "Are my taxes going up, and if so, why?"
People have been asking about road repairs for who knows how many years.
Rogers said council felt they needed to reduce the pile of paving needs that had built up over the years and so increased the road rehab budget from $2.5 M to $3.2 M, and while this may have made some improvements, our roads are still terrible.
Rogers also said "We need to be in excess of $4 M per year and we will work towards that in a logical manner.
What sort off logical manner would that be then.
Over the years the city spent millions on other projects like the art gallery, the civic centre and the airport runway expansion and want to spend even more on a $56 M performing arts centre, or $50 M on a new RCMP building, yet can't come up with a measly $800,000 or so to add to the road rehabilitation budget. Very logical indeed.
The reason the repairs have piled up over the years is because there has always been some pet project that needed to get done.
But wait, our mayor said simply ordering the money be spent was an option council had.
Then let's do it.
Rogers said the Boundary Road project costing $28 M is anticipated to stimulate major income back into the city. Maybe that means it will work as well as the airport runway expansion, who knows. It may even be better.
Another focus for the city is the Canada Winter Games. Why on earth is this a focus? Not only does it cost us somewhere in the region of $400,000 to apply for the privilege of hosting the games, it will cost around $26 M to build the necessary facilities, which, according to our mayor, would mean millions in economic activity for the area and provide a legacy of person-skills (whatever that means) and physical features the games would leave behind.
This is no good if there are no businesses or people to fill these buildings after the games have gone. It will only mean more increases to city taxes to maintain the empty buildings.
This is like the person who buys the big screen TV, the big house, fancy truck and goes on nice holidays, yet doesn't have enough money to put the necessities like food on his plate.
