Dear Editor,
Re: It wasn't the year for that kind of tax hike, Dec. 6
The Western Wheel editorial is 100 per cent correct. The effective tax increase, including the natural gas franchise fee, on an “average” house of $550,000 is really closer to 7.75 per cent — it’s just that almost half of that increase is not transparent and is hidden on your natural gas bill.
It appears that this council is more interested in increasing Town revenues than advocating for residents. A report this summer by MNP says 52 per cent of Canadians are $200 away from insolvency, and RBC Capital warns that 60 per cent of mortgages will be renewed in the next two years at an average increase of 32 per cent in monthly payments unless the bottom falls out of interest rates.
Add the 12 per cent increase in food prices across Canada and it’s clear that everyday people are under extreme pressure right now. Residents cannot afford tax increases, and changes in council priorities should be met with reductions in other departments instead of adding yet another log on the financial crisis fire.
Residents cannot afford a council or mayor that does not advocate for them. The administration will always want more funding and more programs and more staff, and it's council's job to say "no" when residents can't afford it.
I just hope people remember this and choose carefully in the next election.
Ryan Nix
Okotoks
