Chatham-Kent municipal administration deserves a standing ovation for how it approached council’s last-second request for options to deliver a 0% tax increase.
And council’s response is worthy of residents tossing their jerseys on the ice in disgust.
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On Jan. 19, less than 24 hours before the tabling of the budget, council told administration it wanted a 0%-increase option.
Administration delivered by dredging up municipal service review cuts the previous council had shied away from in 2013 and 2014.
The message: “You want to talk tough numbers? We’ll give you tough realities.”
Administration said it didn’t recommend these options, but brought the possibility of closing libraries, volunteer fire stations, the Sydenham Pool, and three pages of other proposed cuts back to the forefront.
Brilliant move.
Gerry Wolting, general manager of corporate services, said these were difficult options, but stressed they were permanent fixes, rather than short-term Band-Aids.
“If you want to reduce taxes or reduce cost, we really recommend that tough decisions be made where this will not come back to bite us,” Wolting told council. “A slash to infrastructure looks good this year, but Thomas (Kelly, general manager of infrastructure and engineering) will be here four years from now saying, ‘We need to close these four bridges,’ all from a decision made here now.”
So council asked for options. Administration delivered. And in short order, council overwhelmingly voted to toss out the 2013 service review options.
Why ask if you don’t want to hear the answers, councillors? You said constituents told you in no uncertain terms during the campaign that they wanted you to cut the tax increases. By refusing to revisit service review recommendations, you’re assuming these same people have no idea that 0% tax increases would result in loss of services. You are also wasting staff’s time in tasking them with the service review, as well as asking them to come up with cost-savings options at the snap of your fingers.
Yes, the previous council implemented some of the service review recommendations over the years, but essentially it just scratched the surface.
What does my municipality do for me here in Tupperville?
Well, they don't pick up my garbage……..ever, they don't sweep the streets…..ever, they rarely fix the roads, I live close to a rusting bridge that could sorely use a coat of paint. They don't support culture. The only voice for culture seems to have disappeared. They discuss on a regular basis closing the Sydenham pool and the library, things that do make a difference in my life. We see a police car every few weeks, other than that not much of anything really.
What council seems to do is go over the same ground every year, probably because there are so many of them, they really can't focus on anything.