Well, we know we are getting, at the very least, a 3% mill rate increase based on the City Police budget - and that doesn't include the cost of the approved super-duper police plaza (SP Oct. 21/11.)
Based on the news report it is hard to argue against the police budget - although I would like to know the crime stats for East Division. If the city is expanding, police service must also grow to service the expansion. And I would not want police officers sent out on the job without the necessary equipment to do the job.
Add on to this increase the monies needed to finance the capital projects (although some of this cost will be held back until after the 2012 election), infrastructure repairs and maintenance, library services, etc. and we are in for a substantial tax increase - this year and for years to come.
Good to know before we go on a Christmas spending spree.
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Trying to make sense of Council decisions is useless. They have no regard for the average person anymore, more concerned on their own personal agendas.
ReplyDeleteAs for the police officers having proper equipment.... does that include the steel armoured tank they intend on buying to gun down the gangs?
Council has made no decision the police commission is making a recommendation too council, then it will be a part of the budget cycle.
ReplyDeleteDo you honestly think this council will say no to the police budget?
ReplyDeleteIf Rob Ford can't say no, what chance do Atch and Co have?
It's actually really easy to come up with a budget without having a property tax increase. The secret is to make more use out of user-fees and levies. If garbage collection, a core responsibility of a municipality, can be divorced from the tax roll, then so can policing, fire, and roads. Oops, they are already looking at a road levy.
ReplyDeleteEventually everything that we NEED will be funded by user-fee or levy and things like a cultural diversity coordinator will be funded by property taxes.