CPP is up $50, EI $13. There goes the extra $550 we’ll be saving at the pumps!
Happy New Year anyway, everyone!

For those that can’t be bothered to grab a calculator (and who can blame you for not wanting to), on a percentage basis our Water rates are going up by 15% and our Sewer rates by 18%!!

Ouch!

Sure wish that I could raise my rates by 18%! Heck, even 15% would be nice, but I don’t want to put myself out of business and unlike “city hall”, I can’t grab my customers by the balls!!

Happy Screw Year, haha!

So we really never got rid of Green!

Happy NEW so you thought that a new Mayor and council would be the solution to increased costs.
Good Luck
cheers

Why is a Dog Licence in that list? It didn’t go up. Something missing from the other items above is Shaw’s internet rate increase as of Jan 1.

Ohhh Green decided to leave on a good note with these hikes she put in place before leaving..

At this rate the city may have to visit the possibilities of issuing monthly billing instead of every 6 months lessening the effects of the gouging.

Note to residents… water and sewer probably had to go up, the entire system is ancient and falling apart. Blaming Green for fee hikes is laughable, do you know how many people have to approve this? You really think Green is some mighty wizard who waived her wand? lol

so that pushes the city fees hikes to what 100+% in just 8 years? Maybe I should’ve moved more then only 2 provinces away from PG. Enjoy the winter games, you’ve paid for them.

I agree with PG101. Those rates are acceptable for sewer and water for an aging system. Having dealt with broken pipes on two occasions with a flooded basement is not my idea of fun not to mention the loss it creates. Aging pipes is what caused the problems in my home and yard. Also having your driveway half torn up and parts of the lawn was not fun either. But hey at least I have new pipes around my house, just wait till it happens to one of you. You’ll gladly pay the extra money. Oh and I do understand that a pipe can burst at any time new or aging.

Common sense, everything gets old and needs replacing or repair. How much of these cost are associated with added infrastructure on the hopes that Prince George will reach 150,000? Shouldn’t added infrastructure be added when the need arises?
I wouldn’t build 10 homes on assumption that I may have 10 grandchildren would you?

The 50 million dollars a year in salaries for city workers has to come from somewhere. Where did you think the money for their new contract was going to come from?

Side with you on that one Axman

I was going to mention that fact axman, but was worried that all the lefties would jump all over me, haha!

So lets have an example of what you folks consider a correct pay rate? What’s your pay rate and skill set? Lead by example.

I know that my long term benefits pale in comparison. Just to pointing out the overlooked topics. Just saying!

Happiness is, owning your own Well and Lagoon, no gauging here, mind you it’s 20 Grant up front. Live in the the City has is Costs and Benefits, so don’t complain, you can’t take all that Money with you!Enjoy it while it lasts.

seamut, you must be a “leftie”, right??

Many of us in the private sector have seen our incomes both rise and fall with the economy! Our municipal workers are some of the highest paid in the province and have received salary increases each and every year for what, the last 28 years or so!!

At what point do you think “enough is enough”??

Yup, I have to agree with what someone said above, blaming this all on Green is laughable. About the last 4 Mayors we’ve had have all but ignored infrastructure while City staffing costs went through the roof. Get ready to pay up, PG.

Our municipal workers are some of the highest paid in the province and have received salary increases each and every year for what, the last 28 years or so!!
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Where in hell did you get this info from? Its all BS. Yeah I’m am lefty and pensions are not a gift from the tax payer. As I did municipal workers contribute 7% of their wages towards their pension.
Cheers

Retired 02, what’s the matter? Are you scared or ashamed of the facts??

Also, for your information, your pension is comprised of the contributions that you made AND the contributions that the taxpayers made. Any shortfalls in your pension plan’s ability to meet it’s obligations will also be covered by the taxpayer!

One of the biggest problems that we will face in the future is the looming under-funded public sector pension liability!!

My friend, you really need to do some research!!

Cheers!

The city workers are not the reason taxes went up so much.
There is somewhat of a draw on funds from city management, union workers, firefighters, and police and pensions. For a city that is not growing such as PG is difficult to maintain services from this group. If the city was growing there would be no issue with regards to workers and pensions.

The main reason our taxes are going up is the infrastructure that is ageing along with our city footprint. There is to much space to service with our population.

We live in a city with everything but we all have to drive somewhere for these amenities.
Imagine if could walk or take communal transit to every amenity. Our taxes would be much lower and our community would be a lot different probably for the better.

Not properly maintaining our services and poor planning for whatever reason is the result of high taxes and unsustainable amenities and services.

its not Green’s Fault or workers fault or the new mayors fault…. but the people of Prince George are somewhat responsible for where we are today.

What are you doing to benefit your community ?

Joey: “The city workers are not the reason taxes went up so much.
There is somewhat of a draw on funds from city management, union workers, firefighters, and police and pensions. For a city that is not growing such as PG is difficult to maintain services from this group. If the city was growing there would be no issue with regards to workers and pensions. ”

Sure there would… if Municipal workers were paid more than their private sector counterparts with better benefits and pension plans, which they are.

Easy solution to you all who complain of the wages city employees get, if they get so well why not get a job there? Then you will be rolling in the cash, pension only kings can brag about, so many benefits you get everything paid for and even when you die you great great grandkids are still covered…lol

It’s funny we worry about what our city workers are getting paid and our seniors are supposed to live on about $13,000 a year and a refugee gets $28000 a year.

At least most of the city workers wages are spent and recirculated in the community..it’s those big engineering and consulting fees paid out that really make me wonder. And the stories..$2.5 for some stair into the library?? $a million for a picnic shelter in the park….and dreams of multi million dollar parking meters….

We should be proud that city employees can live in nice homes, send their kids to summer camps, and be able to look forward to a comfortable retirement.

Retired 02, what’s the matter? Are you scared or ashamed of the facts??
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What is that supposed to Mean?
I worked for over 40 years as a tradesman, contributed to a pension fund all f those years I worked for in a Union shop I am proud of my accomplishments . You hart guy need to do some research but here is some info for you;
As published in the 2014 Annual Report, the plan holds assets in excess of $23 billion. In reference to other pension funds, the Towers Watson P&I/TW 300 ranking (September 2014) ranks the BC Public Service Pension Plan as the eighth-largest pension fund in Canada. This ranking is based on the status of the fund as at March 2013.
Cheers

Some people just don’t have the qualifications for a good paying job with benifits I guess and are jealous. Those knocking city workers I wonder if they have any understanding of the variety of job skills required to run a city. They complain but I have yet to see more than a knee jerk solution.

Is that lefty right or right lefty?

Retired 02, here’s a small excerpt from the Macleans article. You really should read the entire article though!

“Public sector unions are pushing back against the growing threat of pension envy that is putting pressure on governments to cut back on their retirement benefits. The Public Service Alliance of Canada, the union that represents federal government workers, argues that at $25,000 the average pension payment for its members is hardly lavish.

Yet governments are struggling to afford even those benefits. This month, auditor-general Michael Ferguson warned the pension system for federal public servants was underfunded by more than $150 billion, representing Ottawa’s biggest liability next to the $668-billion federal debt. The federal government also paid $9.2 billion worth of interest payments on pension-related debt —nearly a third of the government’s total interest payments for 2012. Ottawa has also channelled another $1 billion into its pension fund from other tax revenues to help cover the roughly $15 billion in pension benefits it pays out every year, representing 5.5 per cent of all federal government spending.”

WOW, the pension system for federal public servants was underfunded by more than 150 BILLION FREAKIN’ DOLLARS!

Retired 02, in your infinite wisdom please explain to me and to many others who are responsible for our own retirement funding, why should we pay more in taxes to make up the underfunding in the Public Sector Pension Plans??

I eagerly await your learned opinion!!!

seamut, you’ve got to be kidding! You do know that today is January 1st, not April 1st, right??

Your suggestion that city workers somehow have special qualifications and skill sets that are beyond the scope of other workers and are therefore deserving of wages and benefits that are 130 to 140% of comparable private sector wages and benefits is ridiculous!

Cheers!!

Getting back to the original story: my medical premiums are going up $60 a year. It’s not that bad though if you look at it as a car salesman would. “That’s only 17 cents a day.” ICBC rates will rise 10 cents a day and Shaw cable internet 2 cents a day. Not bad if you say it quickly but it’s starting to get pretty tight for some pensioners and people on fixed income.