Tax increase may be a necessary evil

By Kristen Haveman

Say the words “tax increase” and right away the grumbles start.

It’s time for the grumbling to begin in Quinte West after an announcement of a two per cent tax increase. This year, complaints may be a little more vocal as most of the increases to the budget are due to salary increases for city staff, professional firefighters and police staff. Are these grumbles warranted? Maybe not as much as we would like to think.

If you’re like most of us, you may not remember the last time you got a raise. It’s easy to get upset when we see people whom we perceive as already having a good job get a little more, especially when the economy hasn’t exactly been terrific.

It gets hard to swallow a tax increase when we see increases to city staff salary, however it should be noted that council actually decreased internal spending. Between 2008 and 2011, spending dropped by $74,000.

A lot of us find ourselves with more money going out than coming in and officials of the City of Quinte West are saying that they are having the same problem. Last year, council voted not to give funding to Loyalist College, stating that the city was already spending too much.

The city has indeed had a few increases that they may not have been ready for.

Professional firefighters were awarded through an arbitrator a salary increase that is be retroactive until 2008.  The increase was reportedly more than the city had initially offered. Firefighters do a very important job and deserve fair compensation, but a higher salary does mean a higher city budget.

The city was also hit with a provincial mandate to increase contributions to its provincial pension plan.

Over the past few years, many cities have been the victims of municipal downloading. Basically, things the province used to pay for have shifted onto the backs of municipalities. While mayors and councillors grumble it is the municipal taxpayer who really pays. The buck always stops at the little guy who often doesn’t know whom to blame. As voters and taxpayers we have to look at every level of government to see where expenditures are coming from.

The exact amount of increase is different across the wards. Trenton ward saw a decrease last year, while Murray Ward has seen the highest increases over the last couple of years. Based on an average residential assessment of $177,000, the highest increase, which is 3.13 per cent in Murray Ward, means an extra $55.73 a year, or $4.64 a month.

Is an extra $5 a month worth two new police sergeants and happier firefighters? That is the question, it seems.

The answer, two per cent, is fairly minor and if you really don’t like it, let your councillors know. Or you can just wait until the next election rolls around.