Respectfully, I ask how you and your council can justify any increase in taxes.
, Steering the city’s projects and approving their execution is your job. You had asked us, the consituents how to reduce the tax hike. Despite the fact that this is a revisionist tactic,I will make some suggestions to humour you.
1) Outsource the garbage and plowing. Both services are poorly delivered by the city.
2) For being so environmentally conscious, your council seems to continue to grant building permits, while we struggle with water for our basic living needs, while the likes of Nestle, Sleeman, and other industries. Maybe we should seek to the corporate drain on our water before we expand, and I have to limit my use or face penalty.
3) As I understand it, are we not still shipping our waste or a portion of it to incinerators. If so what is the diversion rate. Are we making money on the recycled materials? If not why not? I thought you guys were champions of the environment.Why am I still using so many plastic bags if the waste isn’t being diverted. Plastic bags have a tremendously long half life. If all my waste was able to be place in receptacles, that would keep tons of plastic from pollution mother earth.
4) Yard waste pick up: It is a royal pain to drive the waste across town to dump it. As an avid cyclist and runner, I see debris, such as old batteries, lumber, tires, and yard waste at the side of some of the rural roads, I guess these unscrupulous people don’t like fees at the transfer station either. Or perhaps our lovely transfer station wasn’t open. I find their hours too limiting. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound cure, as I assume city officials must clean up the strewn debris.
5) Reclaiming and developing Halon creek watershed: Since I have lived here, I watched the grade rise some 4-6 feet in the south right on the watershed to accommodate new homes. How is this a champion of the environment.
6) The new city hall? the old rent vs buy argument. All I can say, is that renting seemed to work fine for a long time. The new building will free up some space for maybe new bars, or apartments, who knows. It only creates more challenges for the downtown. Obviously we cannot afford the new building given the rate increase. What was the rush on that anyway. As an individual I save some funds to finance a large capital project. Does the city not do the same thing.
7) In conclusion, I don’t buy the argument about downloading. I think that the city as a bureaucracy has to find significantly more efficiencies, and operate considerable more productively, Outsourcing, is my suggestions. I feel it would improve service and reduce cost.There are a few things to ponder. I would like to address the level of service from the city.
I contend we do not need those little plows for sidewalks. Most of the time my neighbourhood never gets plowed anyway. I shovel as do all my neighbours out of courtesy to others, particularly children. My street seems to take several days to be cleared after a storm,
The downtown issue is a whole issue ontu itself. It is clear that vandals and hooligans are the culprits. The bus stop idea didn’t go anywhere. it’s a fine line to walk when you try make vendors responsible for the conduct of their patrons once they leave the place of business.We ought to examine what they do in Britain, place cameras up to record the vandalism and fights and apprehend the violators after the fact. Once a few of these guys are charged, fined or sentenced, the message would be clear that what they are doing in illegal.On a VERY POSITIVE NOTE, I am an avid cyclist and runner. We are blessed by our locale to be able to have great rural roads to ride on within minutes of the city, and the jogging trails are fantastic. The schools are good, and we are getting good health care (both provincial jurisdiction) but it looks good on Guelph.
I want to work to make Guelph a great place to live thrive and survive. With your help I am certain we can do it. We haven’t gone too far wrong that we can’t change course and get on track.
I appreciate your work and commitment to this wonderful city. PR