As a taxpayer, after reading articles in our local media, I find the following statistics very alarming. I wonder if any of my fellow taxpayers feel the same way. If so, what are we going to do about it?
• From 2000 to 2007, according to the provincial government’s website, there has been an 89 per cent increase in property taxes.
• With an increase of 5.9 per cent for 2008 and 5 per cent for 2009, property taxes have gone up over 100 per cent in 10 years.
• From 2000 to 2009, city employment went from 293 to 545 full-time equivalents, an 87 per cent increase.
• Population rose by 13.1 per cent from 2000 to 2008.
Doubling of taxes in 10 years, an 87 per cent increase in city employment to handle an increase of just over 13 per cent in population! The natural question is are we getting good value for our taxes or are we getting what we deserve?
I hope our elected representatives can tell us that these statistics are fiction and that we are getting great value for our taxes, right?
On another note, it appears that city hall is to be designated as a historic resource. For us taxpayers, this raises more concerns. Will this historic designation limit our ability to make internal and external changes to this facility to meet the needs of our growing city administration? Will this in turn add to our tax burden?
Fellow taxpayers, we need to be more vocal and involved with the running of our city. Thus, we need to work with our elected representatives to make sure that they understand what is important to us and that we are very concerned with our ever increasing taxes. Again, I say, please get involved. You can make a difference!
B.K. Kang, St. Albert
