We have a tax increase of 4% along with reduced services and increased levies and user fees. Thank God its an election year.
I don't have a problem with user fees if in fact taxes were reduced to reflect them. In this budget we get it all -increased taxes, user fees, levies, reduced service and more planned debt. The scrambling for nickels and dimes attests to the financial health of this city.
The 2013 budget won't be as kind. After the next election, Councillors will have four years before they face the voters and can tax with impunity for three of them - and that is when the pain will start.
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Very well said mistress. Look out for the future and hold on to your wallets.
ReplyDeleteI thought Atch said all the finances were in order?
ReplyDeleteNow we have higher taxes, more levies and fees and in return are getting less services and more debt.
How is this man a business man?
Oh city coucil and all their wisdom! Their spending spree has finally caught up with the tax payers of Saskatoon. Higher taxes, increased bus fares and reduced service. Did I hear mention of charging now for garbage pickup. I was told by a city worker at the landfill that charging for garbage pickup has been in the plans for over 10 years. Pat Lorje is now trying to get the King George area to have front yard garbage pickup after we fought for over 6 months to keep back alley pickup cause of the small lots, and stairs going to the main sidewalk that we will have to drag the bins down.Another sign of not caring about the older residents in the area. Oh the incompetence, lack of compassion, and the gall of city council. They were to busy spending our taxes on their empire building and not caring about its constituents. Now they are busy nickel and diming us, reducing our services, and charging for services that should be covered by our taxes and not caring about us. City council has not been challenged in the past elections and they appear to believe that they will to be ordained again in the next. It's about time we had a real election, with good people actually running against the annointed. We need a debate on the issues facing our city. We need to know not only the short term but the long term plans and we need to hold city council accountable for their decisions. It's time to vote out city council en mass!!!
ReplyDeletea) I thought this council was being voted out in October for a more fiscally responsible council; therefore, we should not see a tax increase.
ReplyDeleteb) some of these issues would not have been happening had former councils actually dealt with issues at that time. (atchison, penner, neault have been on council a long time and need to hold responsibility for not forwarding thinking back then).