For Prince George homeowners, a lump of coal, better known as the utility bill, arrived in the mail during the excitement of the 2015 Canada Winter Games.
Letter to the editor writers have correctly pointed out that the city's utility rates have increased dramatically over the last several years and they are also right to question where is the additional value or service to warrant such increases.
The previous mayor liked to talk about tough choices on city spending and tax rates but backed away when it was time to take a stand. Shari Green neutered her own core services review by refusing to allow a close examination of all city spending, making it a complete waste of time and money in the process. The current mayor and the majority of this current city council were part of that. They should not make the same mistake twice and they should offer to take a hearty dose of their own medicine.
For two straight years, city council and administration demanded its arms-length agencies - the library, Tourism Prince George and Initiatives Prince George - submit zero budgets, freezing spending at the previous year's levels, yet made no such demand of themselves. In other words, they asked others to tighten their belts but refused to lead by example.
When he was chair of the school board, Lyn Hall shepherded difficult spending cuts and school closures, working with his board, senior administration and the public to make the hard decisions also be the best ones.
That kind of leadership is required again and this city council should offer it, by freezing all tax and utility rates for two consecutive years. The mayor and city council should task their chief financial officer and interim city manager to sit with the directors and come back in 30 business days with several options on how that could happen, in exactly the same way Allan Wilson (library), Heather Oland (IPG) and Aiden Kelly (Tourism PG) were forced to do for their respective boards.
Freezing tax rates for two years would do what the core services review should have done - force city council and administrators to prioritize spending and cut where appropriate. Staffing levels. Service levels. It should be all on the table and there should be no sacred cows. Firefighters and police officers should not be excused, like they were in Green's core services review, just because they provide essential service.
These cuts will not be painless, nor should they be. If going on a diet doesn't come with some discomfort, you're not doing it right and you won't be successful.
These are the kinds of decisions many homeowners and many business owners and managers have been making for years and continue to make. Now it's time for them to see their local government do the same, rather than just pass on inflationary increases each year and insist there is nothing that can be done.
Taxpayers, however, still need to do their part. Anyone who demands municipal government should do more is asking to pay more taxes. What they really mean is their government should do less and there should be a corresponding decrease in the level of public expectation for service from municipal government.
If taxpayers want tax relief from their government, they need to meet their government halfway and reduce their demands from government.
Residents deserve streets but no resident is entitled to city streets cleared the moment the snow stops falling or for those same streets to be as smooth as a baby's bottom. Residents deserve sewage and garbage removal, water, arenas, libraries, pools and parks, but no resident is entitled to the very best of any of those things unless they're willing to pay the very highest taxes.
As Hall found out during his school board tenure, taxpayers are willing to accept spending cuts and reduced service when they are part of the decision-making process. It's time to to meet, it's time to talk and it's time to give home and business owners much-needed tax relief from their municipal government.
If civic leaders are wondering what's the best present to give residents to celebrate the city's centennial, here it is.
It's time for the mayor and city council to get to work.
