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No residential tax hike for 4 years, vows Haywood

Dave Haywood is well-known to many North Cowichan voters.

He's fighting his seventh election campaign because, as he puts it himself, "I've still got some gas in the tank."

His campaign is straightforward. "I'm distraught over what I've watched occur going back over the last 12 years. There's only one issue in this election: skyrocketing tax increases that have been inflicted on residential property," he said.

Haywood wants to put his previous experience to use in helping solve that problem.

"We have to stop the excessive spending on a lot of things in North Cowichan. I know there is room for economies. From the 10 years I myself spent on council, I know we can do better in slowing down and cutting back on certain expenses.

"All of it's money being well spent, but it's too much, too fast," he said.

"People I've been talking to on the doorsteps have been in tears, telling me, 'I never knew that residential taxes could go so high so fast.' I know exactly what they are talking about," he said.

Haywood is advocating that there be no residential tax increase for the next four years.

"Can that happen? Yes it can," Haywood said.

"This is possible and can be done, maintaining all reasonable municipal services, without employee layoffs of any staff.

"Any employee downsizing would only occur from retirements and other terminations, and there would be less contractor work, with a more frugal approach to future wage and salary increases, not now covered under a negotiated collective agreement," he said. Of course, Haywood said, the ideal situation would be to have no tax class looking at increases.

"But, the increase in the other classes have been nowhere near what the residential has been."