An Open Letter To City Council

Dear Council,

As a taxpayer in this municipality, we thought we should bring to your attention a few things that are on the minds of honest, hardworking citizens who reluctantly pay their taxes on time. These taxpayers may or may not have voted for you in the last election and in fact may have not voted at all. Not everyone in this municipality cares about the political posturing that goes on in City Hall yet they may complain about everything City Council does. As a taxpayer, whether or not they voted for you, whether or not they have communicated with you, they have the right to be represented by Council.

The role of a municipally elected representative is to represent citizens while working toward achieving the goals of the City. The recent 2012 budget discussions which were concluded quite quickly on November 22 seems to have advanced the goals of the City with little thought about the taxpaying citizens who will finance these goals. We agree the City has to operate but we are tired of hearing that service levels will be reduced if the budgets of City departments aren’t increased. We are tired of hearing how we will receive good value for our tax dollars. We are tired of hearing that a 3.5 % tax increase is merely based on a 2% inflationary component plus 1% for capital renewal projects. We are tired of hearing that a 3.5% tax increase is realistic.

Most taxpaying citizens don’t receive an annual rate of inflation financial cushion to cover their own escalating operating budget costs and we are quite certain they don’t tell their employers they will have to pony up 3.5% more in the future to cover expenses. If Council has no problem telling taxpayers we have to pay 3.5% percent more, why can’t Council tell City staff they will have to trim their inflated budgets? We are being told by bureaucrats it will cost $12M more to operate the city in 2012 than it did in 2011. We know about bureaucratic budget processes and the belt-tightening sham of asking for more money than you need so it appears heroic efforts are taken to reduce financial requests. So why didn’t Council ask bureaucrats for heroic efforts? If these budget figures and tax increases were predetermined at earlier budget priority workshops, then why go through the Grand Façade of budget discussions? Will City services increase or improve by 3.5%, the same amount of the annual tax increase? Will we be represented 3.5% percent more by you - our elected representatives?

Annual tax increases of 3.5% do affect taxpayers and are unacceptable, not to mention -dare we use that word- unsustainable. On December 20, 2011 we urge Council to represent taxpayers instead of City bureaucrats. Open “our” financial books and ask the questions that need to be asked. Tell the bureaucrats that no additional money will be available because a zero budget increase and a zero tax increase is a realistic achievable goal.

We are the people who finance this city. Represent us.

Realistically yours,

The Limestoned Janitors