Cutting the tax pie

Re: “Do the math,” Letter, Dec. 18.

Both Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Monica Weetman are correct. The city’s take of the tax pie is $345.65 for every $100,000 of assessed value, and the total tax take is $581.65.

The difference is the education draw by the province to fund education, an amount the city has no control over.

In prior years, Alberta Education has taken less of a draw, but our taxes did not go down because the city immediately took over the tax room vacated. The city (and other cities, too) would dearly love to have Alberta Education vacate entirely the crowded property tax arena. This is not entirely a dumb idea, except I fear the spending might not be for sewers and transit, but rather for bloated pet projects and workers’ wages.

How much do we trust local government to spend wisely?

Brenda MacFarland,

Calgary