CVRD not being responsible with taxes
To CVRD Chair:
I understand that a substantial tax increase is in store and you say that the CVRD can’t find a way to reduce it.
If you did not fund the two new functions, water and housing, based on assessments, this would have given relief to those whose house and land values have soared up. I asked your CAO why these could not be dealt with using the parcel tax instead and he came back and stated that staff made the recommendation and there would be no further questions. What gives staff the right to decide how we will be taxed? They are not elected and are not accountable to the electorate. That is the purview of our elected officials. Instead of just rubber stamping whatever they come up with, do your due diligence and take a position on behalf of the taxpayer.
Also, stop adding new items to your wish list, such as those two functions, which are under senior levels of governments’ jurisdiction. Stop kowtowing to special interest groups such as One Cowichan. They don’t represent the majority of us and, had it not been for all the misinformation they put out, the electorate would probably not approved these two. Also, why would the CVRD take on the job of trying to convince us to approve them? How much did it cost the taxpayer and how much did we get back from them?
I also don’t understand why you funded them for five years without doing a means test to determine their outcomes. That is as bad as the Liberals giving 50 year contracts to the private power companies. A sweetheart deal.
Before the CVRD starts adding new functions, first question to ask is, can the taxpayer afford this? We are surviving on our pensions and every time you take a bite out of it, we have to give up more and more to the point where we just get by. If this keeps up, we will have to liquidate. What happens then, we don’t know.
Give direction to staff to find ways to reduce our taxes and stop listening to special interest groups and their advocating for pet projects.
Ed Aiken
Cobble Hill