Editor: It’s almost election time.
Have you gone to or listened to one of the Chatham-Kent council meetings? Have you taken an interest in how your tax dollars are being spent?
Have you noticed the increase in homelessness and crime?
Well, now is the time to take notice. In one year – that’s right, just one year – we will be able to cast our votes to either keep the high spending elected officials that we currently have, or choose more practical, common sense thinkers who are willing to spend taxpayers’ dollars like it’s their own bank account.
At a recent deputation, some of this was pointed out as to how much this council has spent over the years.
- $5 million spent on the tiny cabin project.
- $6 million on the Queens Line roundabout (and bridge reconstruction).
- $8.9 million on the Burke drain.
- $18 million on 101 McNaughton Ave. W.
- $33 million for gravel road conversion acceleration.
- $45 million proposed to divert Talbot Trail.
- $53 million proposed for The Hub, plus upwards of $6 million for the firehall move.
- Over $200 million proposed for the Recreation Master Plan.
- Over $1 billion proposed to be spent over the next 10 years on water/wastewater.
- Approximately $2.363b on the Asset Management Plan.
- In the 2025 budget, $242 million of the $445 million budget is related to employee-related and contracted services, 54 per cent.
- 2025 tax increase per household was $176 based on an assessment of $176,000, 2026 will be $325 and 2027 will be $306, if there are no unforeseen expenses that need to be dealt with.
What does this mean to you? It means that if you care about keeping your hard-earned dollars in your pocket, you should take these next 12 months and watch, listen and really know who you want to support in next year’s election.
There seems to be only a few councillors who are working in your best interests, so next October, vote wisely.
Karen Pynenbrouck
Chatham
