Council must be honest with taxpayers

DEAR EDITOR:

With the comments from the mayor, Council needs to get honest and explain to the Penticton taxpayers and utility account users exactly what to expect in the way of property tax increases and utility rate increases.

Council needs to explain the business tax multiplier and what Council plans are for this year. Explain what the average property assessment increases for residential and business properties are for 2023. Will the business tax multiplier for business be increased in 2023? Please educate the residential taxpayers how the BTM will be calculated for 2023.

As taxpayers, we have been informed that there is a massive surplus for 2022. Council needs to explain to Penticton residents, exactly what the surplus is for 2022 and what portion has been appropriated to reduce taxation in 2023. Council, please provide a reconciliation to your bosses (taxpayers) to how the 2022 surplus has been allocated.

Will the free parking in the downtown core be abandoned? Council has indicated that the revenue loss will be appropriated from the 2022 projected surplus. What happens when the 2022 surplus is completely depleted? I am ignorant as to when a conflict of interest occurs with these Council decisions.

Council, Council, Council — honest disclosure, honest disclosure, honest disclosure, is mandatory information that needs to be explained to Penticton residents.

Council, explain if you consider an increase in the electrical dividend to the general fund, is nothing more than a hidden property tax increase. Council, do you agrees with my comments that renters (tenants) should not be paying property taxes. This decision still haunts my inner being when this decision was announced at the utility review, management employees refused to discuss that the electrical dividend was unfair to renters.

A five-year summary of how the budgeted property tax revenues have been allocated between residential and business taxpayers needs to be presented with each yearly budget presentation.

Property tax rates (the old mill rate previously) need to be presented and residents will be able comprehend the demand on their assets. Council, during budget deliberations, please be honest with your bosses. Ted Wiltse Penticton