With the election looming get ready for the oft-heard mantra from current and future candidates, ‘I want to give back to the community.’
I have to question the veracity of this statement or do they assume that this community is speculators and developers?
Does giving back include the current councillors and Mayor giving themselves a huge pay increase and habitual spending to rehabilitate the downtown as well as allocating $600,000 to study infrastructure in S.W. Mission to the benefit of speculators/developers?
What has changed in S.W. Mission that warrants another study of infrastructure that was done 10 years ago for the Genstar proposal?
Does residential development pay for itself?
Myself, others and one councillor in the past have stated that it doesn’t, much to the chagrin of staff, councillors and developers at the time.
Obviously that question has been answered in spades as evidenced by property tax increases.
The statement of many councils over the years has been “lets concentrate on residential infill” as this type of development increases tax revenues with little cost to the city.
With unprecedented infill and new development taking place, why have my residential taxes increased $500 in one year?
The previous council, despite being dysfunctional at times did make a concerted effort to keep taxes in check.
I think it’s time this and future councils show more empathy for the existing taxpayers who are doing the heavy lifting taxwise and stop subsidizing speculators and developers.
Let them pay their own way especially in this market of inflated housing prices.
If the remuneration of Council was commensurate with efficacy of their responsibility to the existing taxpayers we should have a reduction of taxes, not an increase.
T.B. Mortimer,
Mission