JIM TAYLOR ISSUES ZERO TAX INITIATIVE

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ZERO TAX INCREASES FOR 10 YEARS

Today Nanaimo Ratepayers’ Association President and City Council candidate Jim Taylor outlined his plan to eliminate tax increases for at least ten years.

“The first thing we do is recover the $70 million of taxpayers’ money that is wasting away in the Vancouver Island Convention Centre” said Taylor. “This single decision should eliminate the need for tax increases for the next ten years by removing the nearly $4 million annual cost to maintain the centre, and banking the cash from the sale we should eliminate tax increases for the next ten years”.

“The hotel tax exemption will also be immediately rescinded as it is not fulfilling its’ intended purpose. The whole reason for allowing a ten year hotel tax exemption was to encourage the building of a hotel adjacent to our ailing conference centre. It was never intended to give all hoteliers a tax holiday at taxpayers’ expense” continued Taylor. “In fact the proposed hotel at 100 Gordon Street in no way fulfills the mandate of providing enough rooms to aid our convention business, if in fact there is a convention business”.

Advocating for a five year wage freeze for all senior city managers is another tax saving policy Taylor wants to see adopted by the next city council. “From 2008 to 2012 the city manager, already earning nearly $200,000/yr. was entitled to a $40,000/yr. raise clearly showing how far city hall is out of touch with reality” said Taylor.

These are just three of several tax increase killing initiatives Taylor intends to introduced in his bid to become the voice for what he calls the ‘new special interest group at city hall …… the Average Nanaimo Taxpayer.”

More of Taylors’ opinions and objectives can be seen at www.JimTaylorForCouncil.com