I’m sure the you’re getting a considerable volume of email on the projected city budget for 2009-2010, specifically the 6.5% tax hike! I do not wish to burden you further but I did have a couple of concerns I wished to express to you.
I have no difficulty with a one year 6.5% tax increase. Still, I would like more detail provided through the media or on the City of Guelph website about why it is that the city is needing an increase far in excess of the rate of inflation.
More significantly, the projected tax hike is part of a larger pattern that extends back 6 years or so and is projected to continue from budget projections for another 3 years beyond 2009 in which tax increases are 2 to 3 times the rate of inflation. That is, what is bothering many Guelph residents is not a one year tax increase but a decade long pattern of property tax increases at 2 to 3 times the rate of inflation. The effect is that after the 10 years we are seeing a net increase in property taxes of 30-40% adjusted for inflation. This is a very significant increase.
My one basic question is, when will the City of Guelph be able to work within the constraints of annual tax increases at the rate of inflation? At some point, the Harris government’s downloading of services to the municipalities is insufficient to explain perpetual increases. MR
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If the newspaper report is correct you are asking people to accept SERVICES REDUCTIONS to reduce taxes?
Why not eliminate the skating rink at City Hall, what about the parking at Willson and Baker street as downtown is a GHOST TOWN of drunken bars and over priced subsidized shops that only the elite 20 % of the population support, what about eliminating the subsidy to the River Run and the Sleeman Centres as the vast majority of citizens cannot afford to buy tickets to attend ….again it is for only 20% of the elite that can afford to use them.
Don,t cut services as our pot hole street are a disgrace, our over stoplight and stop signed streets are causing pollution and traffic jams. Allow the Lafarge and WalMart to build to increase Tax revenue and ease our tax burden.
Why do we have to come up with these obvious solutions when that is why you were elected to represent ALL the citizens and not just the 20% elite. RZ
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I love to micro-manage the city from my armchair. Since you asked, here are a few things I think could be cut:
1. Cut the police “swat team”. I’m sure it’s a lot of fun to dress up and play Army but it seems like an extravagance we don’t need. At the very least, sell off the Ford Excursion the police drive around downtown all day. Would it kill them to walk? The gas cost must be outrageous.
2. Cut the termite inspector/educator. I live on the boundary of the termite zone. I think it is an issue for each home owner to deal with. When I see my neighbours stack wood in their yards or pour wood chips on their flower beds I can’t help but think it’s their own fault if they get termites.
3. Cut the garbage educator/inspector.
4. Cut the tourism promoter.
5. Don’t convert the wading pool in Exhibition Park to a splash pad (Not sure if that one is in the works).
6. Stop hiring consultants.
7. Stop sending out the City calendar.
8. Stop subsidizing the Guelph Storm through the Arena.
9. Can the parkade plan for the Wilson St lot. I think Scott Tracey was right when he wrote that people don’t like parkade. It also looks like an add on to the City Hall project that should have been included/excluded when that project was undertaken. Who is going to park there? City staff? Couldn’t they walk from Fountain St?
Whatever you do, I think you need to put together a plan for the capital projects showing how things are going to be paid for and what the time lines are for the financing of these projects. I think you need to show people that there is some “light at the end of the tunnel”. IB
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Please be aware that I am strongly opposed to the proposed 6.5% tax increase currently being proposed in Council. It is my hope that you too will seek to ensure that our dollars are well spent, and that any increases are kept in line with inflation, or below. AP
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Last week was an ‘eye opening’ period resulting in my concerns regarding the above mentioned subject. Some how it appeared I was caught off guard by the information gleaned, which is rather unusual !My concerns were generated in three tax arena’s, namely after hearing a presentation from David Corks, Manager Business Development, followed later by a private conversation with a member of the Rink Rats team, and finally capped by reading the May 30th edition of the Guelph Tribune, featuring City information on increased % for the bus service impact (assume it excludes the last 3 months of fuel increases ), City hall gets its skating rink, Council grapples with 6.5% 2009 tax increase and finally staff projecting 25% tax increase over next four years.
So I question for various reasons, tax increases when created for projects like the outdoor skating/splash pad in the Civic Centre as examples of must do, especially when considering availability of existing facilities, housekeeping, maintenance, interest, future ethnic growth regarding population mix, increasing trends towards lower paying service type jobs, etc. Furthermore I disagree with Tony Leighton that Guelph has totally neglected its downtown. Also to categorize Guelph as being a great city is being over emphasized when compared to other much larger populated cities.
Therefore as an retired individual receiving three pensions whose combined $ annual increases amount to nearly 1% total, I have to rely on personal savings to cover % shortfalls as and when triggered by increasing costs such transportaton, misc. operating expenses etc. Hardly an exciting situation when one has to then budget for 6% plus municipal tax increases! RA