Taxes, Doin' the Math: One Man's Opinion

By Ben Meisner

     
Let’s have a look at your possible taxes in 2007.

The city wants you to pay an additional 4% for the road improvement fees, 2.4% for the increases to meet services, 1.6% per cent for what is termed the enhancement list, (although not all enhancements are expected to be approved) and a further .6% for the increase in tipping fees for the garbage that you put out at the curb because the fund is short $307,000 dollars.

So if you happen to own a home with an assessed value of $200,000 dollars, then you can expect your taxes to rise by 8.6% per cent, or $324.58 dollars a year. That of course does not factor in what will happen with the increased assessment in PG and whether that quietly will also be lumped into the total bill.

Oh to be sure you are being told that we have the lowest tax rates in BC. On the average house price of $133,609, of course that simply doesn’t hold even a drop of water when you look at our cost per thousand and then suddenly, well gee whiz we are at the top of the list.

The cost per thousand assessments is $18.67 in PG, down to $6.60 in North Van. If the city wants to add yet another 8.6% to your tax bill then they had better be prepared for a long vacation come the next election.

We are spending like there is no tomorrow in this city, and believe me there is.

Simply put down on paper what we can expect to receive in the way of investment in this city in the next seven years, and on the other side of the ledger show what we will lose. You might be very surprised to see that we need to get our ship in order now.

I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.   

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