It’s time to take pity on the poor taxpayer. City council should give it a rest when it comes to property tax increases.
In its new statement of principles for government spending, council has pledged itself to equity, the notion that it will take special care to look out for the needs of the downtrodden and the oppressed.
When applied to the coming city budget, equity should mean one thing: that the city stop its relentless increase in property taxes on homeowners, many of whom are on fixed incomes, or have lost their jobs recently, or have faced years of salary freezes.
Mayor Don Iveson talks about a two per cent property tax increase this year, but that doesn’t cut it.