As we enter into the wildfire season on Vancouver Island, with some locals sadly getting a head start at the Comfort Inn site, residents are anxious to resume some summer activities in the B次元官网网址渘ew normal.B次元官网网址� One thing that certainly isnB次元官网网址檛 the new normal is Saanich councilB次元官网网址檚 reversion on property taxes.
Considering that Mayor Fred Haynes and Saanich council dropped the tax rate not once, but twice, from the proposed whopping 7.2 per cent down to 2.4 per cent, which was ushered in with a 6-3 vote in favour with some council members being of the opinion that it could have been even lower, does that not speak loudly to the amount of B次元官网网址渕arkupB次元官网网址� in the real cost of services in the CRD?
In a letter penned by a local resident to LangfordB次元官网网址檚 Mayor Stew Young, a formal request was made that Langford City Council follow suit with a motion in council to put the approved motion to increase property taxes on ice.
With three months of closure for schools, libraries and recreation centres, having to pay for something you canB次元官网网址檛 use and for public service employees that arenB次元官网网址檛 doing any work, tends to inflame an already heated issue of the disconnect between municipalities, districts, cities and townships.
Some quick math on an average property tax of $3,500 increasing 7.2 per cent has a property owner shelling out an extra $252. That would leave anyone hot under the collar.
ItB次元官网网址檚 time for the CRD to get their collective ice makers together and make the tax freeze region-wide like a cold front. With LangfordB次元官网网址檚 Stew Young fanning the embers of his 28-year tenure, youB次元官网网址檇 think this would be a hot ticket item for the council to keep an obviously good thing going.
ItB次元官网网址檚 a shame that this concept of a freeze on property tax increases, aimed at helping the pockets of people when they need it most, when the tax man cometh, hasnB次元官网网址檛 caught on likeB次元官网网址ell, wildfire.
Eric Kappler
Langford
