I am responding to Coun. Fraser and Mayor Brown’s comments regarding a 12 per cent tax hike for Spallumcheen.
I would like to ask council to brace for a revolt of their projected 12 per cent tax hike, or at least explain to the township residents how this hike, in tough economic times, was not even on their radar.
Every year in autumn, we, as Spall taxpayers, finance our council to learn from, listen to, and schmooze with, their fellow British Columbian politicians at a meeting in places like Whistler, B.C.
One would assume that at least one of the four re-elected Spall council members would have at some point, learned from those meetings of the possible negative financial consequences when our population exceeded 5,000 people.
Our current 2011 Census population in Spall is 5,055 and we now have to pay for our own police. Spallumcheen’s census in 2006 revealed that 4,960 people lived in the township then.
It should have been easily predicted then by Spallumcheen council that the population in the township would have risen by a minimum of 40 people in the five years between the 2006 census and the 2011 census.
What would have prevented council from increasing the “four per cent automatically put on the books” budget with a modest six per cent increase over the last three to four years?
Worst-case scenario, the township would have a small surplus and not have to cut “anywhere we can.”
Maybe Spall council could lead the way and take a 7.94 per cent pay cut to do their part.
BC Hydro is making national news with their ridiculous seven per cent increase over last year’s rates.
Spall council’s proposal of a 12 per cent tax hike is just irresponsible. Families on fixed incomes cannot afford 12 per cent tax increases.
For Spallumcheen’s future, the people in charge of township finances must have better intuition and do a better job. For all our sake.
Arnette DenEngelsen, Spallumcheen
