First of all, I would like to thank Brian Skakun for his stance on the issue of taxes. It is refreshing to see someone take a principled position on such an important subject.
As we had discussed, the recent rise in the municipal tax rates is quite troubling. While I can certainly empathize with the situation that council finds itself in, the recent increases are going to have an impact on some in our community who simply cannot absorb it.
It is heartbreaking to talk with so many people approaching retirement age who wonder if they will be able to afford to live in the home they spent a lifetime paying for. Comparisons to the cost of living in other parts of the province come as little comfort to those who made their life and raised their families in this community. It can be hard enough for those in their prime earning years to keep pace with the cost of living, but for people on a fixed income, these rate increases can be simply overwhelming.
The cost of running our city needs to be examined carefully to reduce unnecessary costs wherever possible, just like any other business. On this topic, you can imagine my surprise yesterday when I received a phone call from the City of Prince George concerning my business. The caller informed me that in reviewing the classified ads in our local paper, city staff saw that, while my company was promoting the services it offers, they could find no record of a business licence for the company. I pointed out that the company does indeed have a valid 2010 business licence, and though it took a while, the caller did eventually locate the record of it.
While the staff member who made the call was polite and likely following a directive from management, I found this call to be quite disturbing. Is the city in such dire need that it must resort to such measures? I can appreciate that these are challenging times in which to manage the city, but this, and some of the large and often questionable expenditures of late, leave me wondering if city management is penny wise but pound foolish.
Dean Dingwall
Prince George
