Just when you think you've seen it all . .

I didn't think there was anything that the city could propose that would surprise me anymore. Council has kicked around the idea of flat tax, presumably over and above assessed tax, user fees for garbage collection, recycling fees added to utility bills (then its not considered tax), increasing infrastructure levies, a guaranteed annual tax increase to raise $7.5 million for the police station, extended amortization for capital projects - the list goes on but I think you get the gist.

But today in the SP (Apr 6/11) when city management writes a taxpayer and says that if you want your potholes fixed by July you can do it yourself and at your own expense, I was both surprised and shocked. I had difficulty believing that the city would allow anyone, qualified or not, to tamper with city streets, that they cannot assure repairs would be done by mid summer and that over and above taxes, you can pay for your own street repairs. The idea that a neighbourhood would have to consider fundraising for street repairs is beyond comprehension.

I have held off calling councillors or writing the city about the condition of my streets thinking that as soon as it was possible they would have crews out doing repairs. I cannot access my home without driving over washboard conditions. I travel about five kms coming down the road to my street in the hope that I won't do serious damage to my vehicle. I personally know of four people that have blown tires and/or bent rims after hitting a pothole. Drivers are weaving in and out of lanes on major arterial roads trying to avoid damage to their cars. For whatever reason the roads seem to be worse this year than in past.

I can hardly wait until the next election.