The following article appeared in the August 1 edition of the Guelph Tribune:
In an atmosphere politically charged by the current federal byelection, Coun. Gloria Kovach traded insults with fellow councillors Monday as her motion on city tax policies failed by a wide margin.
Although the debate was mostly calm and restrained, Kovach drew groans from around the council horseshoe when she said some of her fellow councillors are “more open to taxing and spending” than she is.
Kovach, the Conservative candidate in the Sept. 8 byelection, was chided by Mayor Karen Farbridge for this remark. “It would be appreciated not to label your colleagues in that way,” Farbridge told her.
Coun. Ian Findlay then accused Kovach, a council veteran, of failing to show good leadership to rookie councillors like him.
“Real leaders inspire, they don’t alienate . . . they unite, they don’t fracture,” Findlay said. He also said he suspected that “the timing of this motion is quite suspect,” given that Kovach is now campaigning for the Guelph seat in Parliament.
Coun. Mike Salisbury didn’t agree. Unlike some, he said, he didn’t consider Kovach’s motion “some sort of pre-election stunt.”
Her motion called on city staff, boards and commissions to be advised that the 2009 tax rate increase must be kept to a minimum. The four-part motion also called on city council to hold at least one special meeting to set priorities on projected capital expenditures and projects, to discuss the wisdom of using more debt to pay for capital projects, and to set a reduced guideline for the preparation of 2009 budgets.
Before her motion was debated, council was given a petition signed by more than 700 local residents opposed to “a proposed 6.5 per cent tax increase” in 2009.
The 6.5% figure is made up of a 5.5% tax hike that senior city staff have said could be needed to maintain the 2008 level of services in 2009, plus 1% for new services in 2009.
Coun. Karl Wettstein, who chairs the city’s finance committee, stressed that the 6.5% has not been “proposed” by council and is “not a formal guideline” for staff and boards to use in preparing their budgets.
Domenic Allard, who presented the petition, said he found it all confusing. “I’m just a common Joe . . . I don’t know about you, but I haven’t had a raise in three years,” he told council. Most people “could live with” a 2009 tax hike of 3% or 4%, Allard said.
Coun. Christine Billings, who ended up voting along with Coun. Bob Bell for all four parts of the motion, twice urged Kovach to suggest a specific number to use as a tax hike guideline for 2009.
“Given that staff are so far into the budget process,” with city departments scheduled to submit their proposed 2009 budgets on Aug. 22, it doesn’t make sense to start planning the sort of special council meeting proposed by Kovach, Billings said.
Kovach’s motion was “pretty much a do-nothing motion” unless it contained a specific number for a tax increase guideline, Billings said.
Kovach, though, told council she had “no specific number in mind.”
Echoing criticisms voiced by several councillors during the debate, Farbridge said Kovach’s motion had “no meaning” and “no substance.”
Farbridge said she thought that “politically, it is a weak motion.”
Wettstein said Kovach’s motion isn’t “necessary,” because the budget process now being used at city hall already ensures that all the things proposed in her motion will be done.
A June 11 letter from city CAO Hans Loewig to staff, boards and commissions asking them to minimize their budget increase proposals means Kovach’s motion is “very redundant,” said Coun. Vicki Beard.
Coun. Leanne Piper agreed, saying that council’s “lack of appetite” for a 6.5% tax hike in 2009 is already “well known.”
If Kovach’s motion were to pass, Piper said, “nothing would be different.”
Bell, though, said he decided to second Kovach’s motion because of his concerns about council’s approach to spending.
“I am frightened by what I see as an overwhelming propensity to spend money,” said Bell.
Kovach urged council to “show leadership” and not to “tap-dance around” the 6.5% figure.
Citing a new citizen satisfaction survey conducted by the Ipsos Reid polling firm, Kovach noted that taxation and municipal government spending was found to be the top issue for Guelphites.
But Coun. Maggie Laidlaw, also citing the same survey, said it found that many residents see a need for better communication from city hall.
Guelph’s residential property taxes are comparably low, Laidlaw said. “Communications, I think, is a big part of this problem,” she said.