As bummed as I was to receive my property tax notice demanding an additional $475 from me over last year’s amount, a 13% increase, I was consoled by the fact that council will be using some of that money to subsidize the cost of electric bikes with zero impact on the climate but positive dividends for virtue-signalling councillors and electric bike manufacturers and sellers. Except, to the extent that the program incentivizes old-fashioned peddalers like myself to convert to electric, the program might actually increase Saanich’s carbon footprint. Hmmm.
With every property tax increase, council makes it harder to own or keep a home, especially for folks on fixed incomes. Owners of single-family homes already account for 77% of Saanich’s revenues. Maybe council’s housing strategy is to make homeownership so expensive that owners are forced to take in boarders whether we want to or not, or sell so that our homes can be divided into suites. Crazy? Not that long ago Coun. Zac de Vries introduced a very narrowly defeated motion (5-4 vote) to increase the mill rate on single-family homes to meet “climate action goals and long-term financial feasibility.” Translation: to raise more money for council to spend. So, crazy isn’t off the table. Note that former mayor, Fred Haynes, voted against that proposal. How would the current mayor vote?
How about council introduce a new rule that for every dollar increase in tax on the average homeowner, each councillor forfeits $50 in pay. And for every new staff position or program created, an existing one of equivalent cost is cut. Maybe that would generate some financial responsibility and truly respond to the needs of taxpayers.
Mike Pankhurst
Saanich
