Whitby Shores Community Forums

Residents in Durham, Whitby specifically will be hit with a total combined tax increase of 10.8% (6% Whitby plus 4.8% Region). Mean while council still refuses to cut unnecessary and wasteful programs.

As an example, the town spends $6,000 a year to wine and dine retired long term serving employees each year. If this expenditure is necessary it should be funded by the employees unions and not the rate payers. People, it looks like we'll be hit with an average tax increase of 5% to 6% on the town portion each year. Elizabeth, why isn't council getting serious on lowering taxes? The mayor commented in today's Whitby this week that "6 percent is still better than 7.6 percent." True, but that's like saying you may have lost your feet but you still have your legs.

The elected need to remember that they will be judged not just by their values but by how well they represent those who had voted for them and I must say, I for one am not impressed with this council.

Lastly, the MPAC freeze comes off after the next provincial election. You know what that means? Double whammy, increased amount of taxes to pay due to higher property values plus the 10.8% will be applied on those higher assessed property values. Something to think about.

http://www.durhamregion.com/dr/regions/w...2179c.html

Hi J Bobbie and thanks for the comments.
Please visit the link is to the article in the newsadvertiser about the discussion council had about the tax rate.

The budget was passed with a 4 to 3 vote, Councillor Coe, Scott and myself all voted against 6%. We wanted 4.9% all along.

Over the upcoming year there has to be addressing of the costs within the town. Things can always be done better and in different ways. I am in full agreement there has to be validation for you tax rate.

Regards
Elizabeth Roy

I don't like a tax hike anymore than anybody else, but we should at least get the numbers straight before we march down to the town hall looking to hang the counsillors.  

The actual increase is not 10.8% it is 4.29% on your entire property tax bill.  That is an increase of 6% on the 31% that goes to the town, an increase of 4.86% of the 50% that goes to the region and a 0% increase in the 19% that goes to the province for the school board.

I had to look around for that break down because the break down in the article at http://www.durhamregion.com/dr/regions/w...2179c.html adds up to 109%.

As far as higher property values equals higher income taxes goes that's not necessarily true.  It all depends on how much your property goes up compared to the average home.  If the value of your home goes up less than the average you will actually get a decrease in your property taxes.

The facts are that we are getting a 6% increase in local and 4.86% in regional taxes. I didn't add the school taxes in because there is no increase in that area. If we add everything as they had done in the article then of coarse the spread would be different.

We could play with the numbers all we want, divide it over 10 years and I'm sure the increase would be a negligible amount. No matter, on a home valued at $280,000 it means an additional increase of approximate $170 per year. Not a small amount as most people do not get a raise of even 4.29% as you had mentioned. Playing with numbers if we are expecting this kind of increase over 10 years it means that you'll be paying an additional $1,700 each year in 10 years from now minimally.

Who here thinks a minimum tax increase of $170 on a home valued at $280,000 each year isn't much?

A $170 increase is a large increase, but it's not as much as the $430 increase you alluded to in the first sentence of your rant.  I guess preparing people for a $430 increase only to find out it's a $170 increase is doing them a favour.  My wife does that when she gets back from the mall sometimes and I ask her how much she spent.  

As far as getting 4.29% increase in pay to cover your increased property taxes that's just silly.  If your household made only $50k a year you would need a pay increase of 0.6% if you figure half of the raise would go to income tax.  A 0.6% increase is not a lot and it would be much less if you make more than $50k which I assume someone would living in a home valued at $280k.

The price of pretty much everything is going up in all sectors and the town has to pay those increases just like we do.  If they have to pay more then we have to pay them more.  Asking politicians to work for no pay or to take away the perks of employees is not how you build a successful town.  I don't want unskilled idiots running things and if you don't pay people what they deserve that's what you will end up with.

Personally, I'm okay with the tax rate keeping up with inflation, and for paying to get value.  One thing that did disturb me a bit was some of the rationale for the hike that was given in Whitby This Week by a town representative (unfortunately, I can't remember the name and I don't have a link); the article talked about part of the increase being due to the construction of a new fire hall in Brooklin and the hiring of additional Town staff.  It seems like these are growth-related costs that, in the interests of fairness, should be paid for through development charges or the tax base in the area where the new services are to be provided (perhaps by "loaning" the money from a reserve account to pay for these initiatives, and then using future revenue to "repay" it as the properties are developed and property taxes start coming in).

I'm okay with paying my fair share.  I'm not so keen on subsidizing growth.  I know, though, that development charges and municipal budgeting issues are constrained by Provincial legislation, so it could be that the current situation is as fair as they could make it. If Councillor Roy is still watching this thread, maybe she can comment.

A yearly tax increase on par with inflation is okay but these increases go well above inflation rates. I am also not happy with the Town's attitude of subsidizing money-losing business ventures like the Iroquois Sports Bar at the cost of tax payers. First of all, the town should get out of the business of running sports bars and second, it should close it down or sub-let it if it's not making a profit.

If this is how the town handles its business, then one can only wonder what other kind of poor decisions are being made that lead to such tax increases.

the article talked about part of the increase being due to the construction of a new fire hall in Brooklin and the hiring of additional Town staff.  It seems like these are growth-related costs that, in the interests of fairness, should be paid for through development charges or the tax base in the area where the new services are to be provided (perhaps by "loaning" the money from a reserve account to pay for these initiatives, and then using future revenue to "repay" it as the properties are developed and property taxes start coming in).


Jeff is correct; the reality is that balance of the DC's has to take place to reduce the burden on the residential tax base.

Does utilization and borrowing of money need to be reviewed; yes most definitely.  

There has to be more innovation with how the tax dollar is used.

Thanks
Councillor Elizabeth Roy

Hello,

Your comments I will pass along to the regional councillors about the police use of the Air 1 helicopter as this is under the region's budget.

Now that the string regarding taxes has started, the time is coming forward where the Town is reviewing the budget.

There will be public meetings in the new year and the participation of the public I am enouraging community members to participate.

I would also like your feedback now.  The answer about cost savings over the past year to move forward to tax reductions is very valid and one that I will follow up on to get this fully from the Town's perspective.

I would also be willing to host a session with the Whitby Shores community to have a full discussion and reflection on the upcoming 2008 budget.

Many thanks
Elizabeth Roy

You are absolutely right, however, what is being done to address it?

Following article in the Toronto Star .. Nov 15 ... is one reason why our taxes are going up ...

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/276707

I ask again ...what is being done to address this waste of taxpayers money ... maybe  the police budget needs a review and instead of a 7% increase next year, it should be cut by 7% .... in my opinion, if they can afford this type of waste, THEY DO NOT NEED MORE FUNDING!!
[/quote]

I would follow Mississuaga's lead and use the tax room (or tax savings)created by the Federal Government's tax cuts to flow back to the municipalities to fund infrastructure projects which are clearly needed. I don't need the 1% tax cut in the GST so I can save my 1 cent on my daily coffee.

Having said that, Mississauga is a very well managed and run city. I used to live there and their development planning is excellent. I have lived in Whitby for four years and am still shocked at how badly things are planned. There are no roadways or transit and yet new homes go up everywhere. Case in point - Bayly and Victoria between Audley and Seaboard is two lanes. A huge tribute development is added but no plans to increase the lanes. On the weekends, it is jammed along HWY 2 between westney and Hardwood. Durham seems to build all these homes and stores but providing roads to handle the traffice is an afterthought. Take our area..let's build these houses and promise a school (and make home owners pay a levy). Then, once everything is built a school is not needed. Now, I am actually not entirely in favour of a school and didn't pay the levy because I wasn't an orginal buyer but talk about messed up planning. Durham needs to get it together and if there are tax increases, it should be to improve the mess we are in - not to just keep funding mismanagement.