When is $295,000 not $295,000 ?
When it is 'only '$6.00 per household!
At the April 7, 2014 committee of the whole meeting council had the opportunity of reducing this year's tax increase from 2.5% to 2.2% by removing three items from the budget totaling $295,000.
City staff said if the items were removed from the budget this year it would not cause any foreseeable problems. One item was $165,000 going into the Housing Legacy Reserve which already contains $2.7 million.
Councillors Bestwick, Kipp and McKay once again were unsuccessful in getting the balance of council to see the wisdom of holding the line on taxes. It was pointed out that in 2013 the Nanaimo taxpayer was in fact over-taxed by nearly $4 million and by applying some of that tax surplus, this year's increase could be held to .5%.
Councilor Brennan, Greves and Johnstone think $295,000 is ONLY $6.00!
In a demonstration of the tax & spend mentality on this city council, Councilor Brennan noted that a $295,000 expenditure in the budget amounted to ONLY $6.00 per average household. Does anyone else see the problem with this twisted logic? By the same token $1 million is ONLY $18!
Both Councillors Greves and Johnstone jumped on the 'only $6.00' bandwagon as they justified spending another $295,000 that staff said didn't need to be spent this year.
Mayor Ruttan commented that while he was hoping the increase could be held to 2.2% he was going to support the 2.5% increase anyway. Seems he didn't understand he could have voted for the 2.2% and perhaps changed the outcome.
When is the next election??
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