City Utilities- But Wait There Is More
Monday, February 4, 2013 @ 3:45 AM
I am sure it’s just a coincidence but the increase in sewer rates this year of 19% and a further 19% next year looks very much like a sale at a discount store where they price the new sofa at $999.00 instead of $1,000.00 which is what it really is.
It would have been more appropriate for City hall to have said we are instituting a 40% increase, 20% this year and 20% next. Just think about it, with the time that they would save by being able to work with a rounded figure, they could have provided those seven invoices that are now subject to an FOI request.
Essentially your sewer costs will rise by just shy of 60% over the next three years, or 56% if you prefer to use the discount store method. But as they like to say on TV, “but wait there is more”, you also will find that your utility bill for water will increase by 16% this year, and 15% for 2014.
“But wait, that’s not all”. The Regional District has been handed the job of increased garbage collection as a result of the city closing its facilities at Vanway and Quinn. The city saves about $250,000 thousand dollars and you get to pay it to the Regional District. Same jeans different pocket.
“But wait there is even more” when the new snow removal “utility charge” takes effect in 2014, you will be paying for your snow removal as a utility, not on your general taxes. It is an absolutely brilliant way of shifting the taxes so it will appear this year that they are not going up as much as had been predicted.
It’s like selling sofas, only it’s city hall.
“But if you order now” we will throw in an increase for the cost of your garbage can, which you will notice on your utility bill.
You may take comfort in knowing that at least two of the people who sit at the council table at city hall know the meaning of how to price items when it comes to the public.
I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion
Comments
We can be sure with Green and Colonel klinck involved the city taxpayer will be raped and pillaged as if we lived in the middle ages.
Ben would know everything there is to know about how discount stores work…. remember Crazy Willies?
oops… “Crazy Willy’s”
The City is using the Crispy Clark “information” technique. Tell the people night after night that they have the lowest personal taxes in the country and they will miss the constant increases in user fees. The advertising industry has a lot to answer for when it comes to partial truth spin doctoring.
The advertising industry has a lot to answer for? Why? They are just the messenger for the lying scum paying them deliver the “message”.
âBut wait there is even moreâ when the new snow removal âutility chargeâ takes effect in 2014
Just before the winter games, more money for clearing, fancy that. How do these people look at themselves in the mirror without shame?
Lets not forget that we will also lose the incentive we used to get by paying our utility bill before the due date. This in fact is another increase. In addition if we are being charged for snow removal as a utility, will we get a reduction in taxes, because we no longer pay it through taxes. Highly unlikely so in effect the City is taxing us twice for the same service.
I wouldnt go so far as to say that this type of manipulation is **brilliant** however, I would say it borders on being a con job, and if they tried to pull it off in the private sector someone might be charged with fraud.
We have the same situation with the Airport Authority, over the years we paid taxes to the Federal Government to run the Airports in Canada. The Feds then turned the running of the Airports over to Airport Authoritys, with the right to assess an airport improvement fee. At the end of the day all these Airports with the exception of Prince George, (Prince George hasnt paid any lease money to the Feds because they havent yet been able to make it a viable operation) pay huge lease payments to the Federal Government, plus run the Airports.
So we continue to pay the Federal Government taxes to run the Airports, and then pay Airport Authoritys to run the Airports. This is a clear case of double dipping that seems to have eluded most Canadians. The Federal Government makes hundreds of millions off the lease arrangements. Sweet deal.
This type of taxation in Canada, and especially in BC through user fee’s, carbon taxes, and other manipulations, are a serious problem, and in fact hide the actual amount of money that Canadians pay in taxes.
Its going to take a concerted effort by citizens to bring these politicians, and civil servants to account. Much more effort in the long run than the HST took.
City Council, and the present Councillors would be a good place to start for citizens of Prince George. If you cant bring the local skallywags to account, then there is no point in trying to take on the big dogs.
Have a nice day.
Seamutt
Your question was how do City administration get up and look at themselves in the mirror every morning. The answer is, they say to themselves this is the only way to get a promotion by Mayor and Council.
Mr. Meisner, can we get some real numbers vs. these percentages, which I’m sure exaggerate your point.
No, I’m not happy about the increases, but the fact of the matter is that we have fallen behind with the upkeep of our infrastructure and we are now paying for those missed years while Kinsley, Rogers, etc. were off to China or overseeing pet projects.
http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/rclrpt03.pdf
Its time to get out of Dodge City.
Cheers
But wait, further 10% increase with no on time discount incentive (already mentioned but making it a creative comment)
Who is keeping tabs on the real change. In other words, someting like the Fraser Institute and others who have a tax model created which is used every year and adjusted every year, to calculate tax free day for an “average” Canadian.
Perhaps someone studying urban ecnomics at UNBC, perhaps with Dr. Halseth, could come up with a model for a masters thesis project and apply it to PG and from there to other cities, if it has not already been done.
It will include the taxes of the median priced Single Family Dwelling plus say three types of families – low, median and high spenders of cty facilites such as pool, etc. to capture typical user fees, in addtion to user fees based on households.
So, tax freedom day for what I understand to be all taxes in Canada – federal, provincial and municipal, is around June-July.
What was it in 2012 for just the municipal portion in PG, and what will it look like in 2014 in PG?
That is the type of thing, for instance, that a Municipal Auditor could do.
Okay, I can buy the fact that the cost to the taxpayer must increase for the purpose of repairing and maybe even maintaining infrastructure, but who is the MORON that came up with the idea to close the garbage transfer stations?
The taxpayer still pays for the landfill one way or another, so no benefit to anyone in closing transfer stations (other than to those who need to make the city books look good)
What will happen is that there will be an increase in dumping of garbage in quiet areas along rural roads. An added bonus for the honest and thoughtful citizen who will haul their waste all the way to the landfill is the guessing game that are the hours of operation at the landfill. Yes, I am the one who showed up at the landfill at 4:00 plus maybe thirty seconds yesterday to find the gate closed. Closed at 4:00 this time of year on Sundays. My fault, should have called ahead to check the hours, but the point is the hours of operation change at least a couple of times throughout the year. Think of how many fewer phone calls the staff would have to field if the hours remained the same year round. Leaving transfer stations open will continue to reduce illegal dumping. Is that too difficult a concept for the hallowed decision makers at city hall?
metalman.
Hmmmmm, might be time for some of us to begin legal actions against the city next year in regards to the snow removal.
Some of you might not understand where I am going with this but be patient.
If were going to have this added as a utility on a per home basis then we should all get equal service.
The snow removal has not nor ever will be equal for us and I understand this, however, there are some inequalities happening that may open up a course for legal actions.
The one inequality I see is homes with a sidewalk across the street from them, the snow is all plowed to the non sidewalk side and piled into the front yards of those homes. Who gets to do the clean up come spring? The homeowner.
I am sure there are lots of other unfair things happening with snow removal that I don’t know about as well.
Might be time to get together and let the city know legally that the old way of doing business isn’t going to cut it anymore.
We could start by going to council meetings and showing that we are listening to their ideas instead of just whining on this site.
Cneers
Wait until Mcleans gets hold of this story..
LOL…..I love it. Mcleans headline…..
“Canada’s Most Dangerous City Council”.
Matty moved out. Sold the house and moved out. Second year now and real glad I got out when I did. No more money for shari from me. Some other poor suckers livin’ in my old house now payin’ the bills to her. No way I was gonna pay her any more. I only got hit one time for winter games on my tax the first year dany stuck everyone with that. I put my house on the market right after that. And sold it fast too. Probably could have got more if I kept it but aint no way I am paying for winter games. I had to pay that and it motivated me to get out NOW. It is absolutely disgusting how they can make me and you pay for this. And these tax increases here Ben talks of in the article are just going to bankrupt everyone. Add it up to about 60 percent or more. Enjoy yurselves paying shari.
Soon the HST will be EXTINGUISHED. Less then 60 days to go.
realtor fees, lawyer fees, longer commute – yup money ahead eh Matty ;)
oh wait – driving to Alberta to save HST makes sense in you accounting books too…
Yup you are right on each item interceptor. So smart you are. I bet you are having trouble paying shari eh intrceptor? You wouldn’t admit it anyways. Sounds like you like paying snooki too eh interceptor? Bet you is one a them HST lovers. Is that why you put me down for avoiding them. Sounds like you is jealous LOL LOL LOL LOL. Hey guess what everyone. Matty quit smoking a few months ago. So snooki don’t get money from me for that no more. Howz that eh intrceptor? LOL LOL LOL LOL all the way to the bank. Enjoy paying shari interceptor. My tax out here this year is 368 dollars. I have my own water and sewer. LOL LOL LOL
Soon the HST will be EXTINGUISHED. Less then 60 days to go. Thank you Billy.
billyinpg.
A good point. There are a number of areas in this City that get plowed quite often, and there are some that rarely get plowed.
I agree if we all pay for the service, then we should all get the service.
Which once again brings me to my pet peeve which is taxation without representation (or services).
How can we be taxed so the City can provide a service, and then not get the service???
There is a distinction between plowing a local residential street and clearing a collector and arterial which services transit, and industrial transportation services that are not related to residential areas.
In fact, there are different standards for the two of when they start to clear and prioritis, with residential being last priority. In fact, residential is the lowest priority.
When I want to access water in my house, I have the same priority as everyone else in the City. I open the fawcett and the water runs. Snow clearing is not a utility. Gas, water, sewer, electricity … those are utilities which are available on demand.
Snow clearing is not a utility.
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