Tom Says: “Lower taxes? I don’t think so…”
I’m going to assume that most New Brunswickers know by now that May 12th is Municipal Election day in their province for all villages, towns and cities.
If you’ve been listening to some of the political rhetoric already being fired, it becomes apparent that lowering taxes is one of the promises being made by any number of candidates in any number of towns and cities.
I have served on the council in the village I used to live in and am still serving on the council in the town I live in now — so I have a little experience in the preparation of municipal budgets. If one of your local candidates is promising to lower taxes, I’ve prepared a list for you to ask the candidate about leaving out as a result…
1. Don’t plow the streets.
2. Don’t plow the sidewalks.
3. Eliminate public transit.
4. Fire half of the municipal workforce, unionized or not.
5. Close the local arena (or arenas)
6. Don’t prepare any outdoor playing fields.
7. Leave pot holes and road craters as they are.
8. Close all cultural facilities.
9. Eliminate Christmas decorations.
10. Cancel garbage collection, or just reduce it to twelve times per year.
And I’m sure there are other services which you as a voter demand from your municipality.
Feel free to print this list and take it to any of your tax cutting candidates and ask he or she which of these the residents in your municipality can get along without under the next administration. Or rather, just ask the candidate to do his or her best to provide all the goods and services you have become accustomed to and maintain the tax rate.
Maintaining the tax rate is a very difficult job at the municipal level, cutting the tax rate is like getting toothpaste back into the tube — it’s impossible.
I’m Tom Young.