If readers were a bit surprised by our headline and story in last week’s paper about a one per cent levy added to New Westminster homeowners’ tax bills, they weren’t alone.
As the hometown newspaper, we like to think we’ve got our ear to the ground where taxpayer dollars are concerned. But we almost missed this one while we were checking our smartphones and looking at the 2.95 per cent base tax hike.
The 2018 budget was introduced at council on Monday Jan. 8. That was also the first time there was public mention of the one per cent levy.
The one per cent levy popped up as a fait accompli without any call for public input or any public consultation in advance. While city officials say the public can provide input on the budget at its Feb. 5 meeting, that really seems a bit of an afterthought and a token gesture.
Did the city councillors and mayor decide to discuss this in camera and then present it hoping it would be like pulling a tooth quickly? Immediate pain and outrage and then, well, it’s old news. Sure looks that way.
Now, we’re not saying that the one per cent levy is a bad idea. In fact, we think it’s necessary.
What we are saying is that a city council and mayor that promised more “public engagement” have clearly failed in this case.
There’s no question many cities are finding themselves in a tough financial spot – and New Westminster is no exception. We’re in an aging city that has not been keeping up maintenance as it should. Roads are rough, and city buildings are run down. Last year, the Arenex collapsed, and although it is not clear if that could have been prevented, what is clear is that our old city needs help.
Civic politicians have tried to keep tax hikes below five per cent for obvious reasons. When they say 2.95 per cent, it seems more like two per cent than three. It’s kind of like those $2.95 sales tags. But when you tack on utility hikes and then add a one per cent levy – it’s creeping closer to the five per cent mark.
Politicians want to get re-elected, and big tax hikes are usually considered a bad gambit to win votes. We get that. And it is an election year.
The stark reality is that you can’t run a city on the basis of a well-paid union staff, ambitious plans to revitalize the waterfront area, and build new recreation facilities without digging in between taxpayers’ sofa cushions for more money.
But those same New Westminster taxpayers deserve to be “engaged” in the process – or, at the very least, be informed in advance of a major budget decision given its impact on their own personal budgets.
