Fairness to all taxpayers
Dear Editor: One thing that I ask is for Penticton city council is to explain to the residential taxpayers, prior to passing the tax rates, which group of taxpayers have contributed to the garbage profits recorded in the City of Penticton budget that are used to reduce taxation.
Is it not true that the residential taxpayers and a few stratas, condominiums and mobile home parks have contributed 100 per cent of the garbage profits. They have allowed the business community and some multi-family buildings to negotiate directly with the garbage contractor, thus bypassing any garbage profit contribution that could be used to reduce the budgeted expenditures.
I notice that the City states that the business tax multiplier will probably be reduced 1.54 from 1.58; they also need to confirm to the residents that the business property assessments have not kept pace with increased assessed values for residential properties.
My personal property is an exception, my property values only increased by 4 per cent which is below the residential average. If I do not disclose this fact, I am certain that Council will disclose this fact to the residential taxpayers... it has happened before.
A recommendation that council could consider would be to allocate the garbage profits to be applied 100 per cent to reduce the residential tax rates they are about to approve. In this way, the business community and a few others would not benefit from profits derived solely from residential taxpayers.
A second recommendation would be to appoint a residential property tax protection group that would have the ability to fight for fairness on behalf of all residential property owners. Further, I would like to see an annual $50,000 budget appropriation to allow the group to engage a consultant that would review the annual budget report for fairness in the allocation of the property tax burden.
The consultant would report directly to the residential group with his recommendations as to how the fairness could be better achieved between the two groups.
Penticton residential taxpayers must realize that in the next election, they must never elect a council whose main agenda is 100 per cent for the benefit of the business taxpayers. Residential taxpayers, mark your calendars for carry forward