GuelphToday received the following letter from Karl Wettstein regarding the zero per cent tax increase.
Editor:
A zero per cent tax increase - is it acceptable? Here we go again!
Some councillors are not prepared to do their job - they again want to dump it on staff.
We all want a zero per cent tax increase this year - especially because of the stresses COVID has created.
I don’t want to suggest this isn’t difficult or even complex but when you cut through the political meanderings it really comes down to one issue - “Is now the time to cut services and if so which ones??”
To focus on efficiencies and additional revenues, recognizing both are important in context, is something Councils have been debating forever and, though important long term, are not going to have much impact on the 2021 budget.
If Council wants a zero per cent tax increase they need to do their job and tell staff which service cuts they are prepared to cut.
They will obviously need to get feedback from both the public and staff on the impacts of these cuts.
If Council can’t agree on which services to cut, their only option is to meet their contractual obligations on the current services portfolio..I understand this would be about two per cent +/-
Note - This would also mean no expansions/new services as well as a gap in our critical infrastructure funding!
The question isn’t simply getting to zero - It is “Can Council come up with temporary service cuts in the middle of COVID that are acceptable??"
Karl Wettstein
Taxpayer - Ward 6
