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Oak Bay's crumbling infrastructure


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#81 todd

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Posted 22 April 2017 - 08:17 PM

:(

 

Thu Apr 20th, 2017 http://www.oakbaynew...ue-to-root-rot/

 

Garry oak tree felled due to root rot

 

 

....... “I felt personally it was like losing a couple of old friends… we didn’t know they were sick,” ...........

 

.........A staff arborist did a root collar exploration, trenching down to the structural roots, where he discovered shoestring root rot, or Armillaria. .........  

 

 


Edited by todd, 22 April 2017 - 08:31 PM.


#82 todd

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Posted 23 April 2017 - 02:43 PM

crumbling

20170421_123322(0).jpg


Edited by todd, 23 April 2017 - 02:46 PM.


#83 rjag

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 03:34 PM

http://www.oakbaynew...rn-for-oak-bay/

 

This is what happens when you keep deferring projects. Taxes going up mainly due to giving employees lovely raises while the place is beginning to crumble. 

 

Oak Bay has very little in the way of commercial taxation so its mainly on homeowners.

 

It begs the question, are small municipalities in urban centres sustainable anymore?



#84 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 04:12 PM

They are sustainable.  Oak Bay taxpayers can easily afford property tax increases.    


Edited by VicHockeyFan, 28 November 2017 - 04:12 PM.

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<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#85 rjag

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 04:40 PM

They are sustainable.  Oak Bay taxpayers can easily afford property tax increases.    

 

Really? do you think everyone is a multi kabillionaire? 


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#86 Nparker

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 04:45 PM

Really? do you think everyone is a multi kabillionaire? 

I would guess for many in Oak Bay, their "wealth" is the equity in property they purchased at substantially less than what it is valued at today. This is no guarantee they can afford a substantial increase in municipal taxes.


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#87 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 04:46 PM

Really? do you think everyone is a multi kabillionaire? 

 

Homeowners there have increased equity by an average of well over $100,000/yr. so there is some money around.

 

assessments.jpg


Edited by VicHockeyFan, 28 November 2017 - 04:46 PM.

<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#88 rjag

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 04:54 PM

so because their assessments have increased does not indicate they have liquidity...that would be like saying everyone in Victoria that owns has a spare $130k lying around because the average assessment increased by that much...its a paper value and is only realisable upon a sale.... :whyme:


Edited by rjag, 28 November 2017 - 04:55 PM.


#89 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 04:55 PM

You can borrow against the increased equity.  That's real money.


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#90 Rob Randall

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 05:06 PM

so because their assessments have increased does not indicate they have liquidity...that would be like saying everyone in Victoria that owns has a spare $130k lying around because the average assessment increased by that much...its a paper value and is only realisable upon a sale.... :whyme:

 

So defer property taxes until it's sold. What's the big deal? You won't even hear about taxes until you're six feet under.



#91 todd

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 05:12 PM

So defer property taxes until it's sold. What's the big deal? You won't even hear about taxes until you're six feet under.


So I shouldn’t expect much come will reading time?

#92 shoeflack

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 05:18 PM

I would guess for many in Oak Bay, their "wealth" is the equity in property they purchased at substantially less than what it is valued at today. This is no guarantee they can afford a substantial increase in municipal taxes.

 

Then they can move, right? That's usually the go to answer around here. No one is forcing them to stay, the market does what it will, yada yada yada.

 

Let's keep in mind that Oak Bay residents, via their Council, just turned down a nice development that would have added some nice dollar amounts to their tax base, as they have done many times before. This isn't a community that necessarily welcomes new tax dollars with open arms. Adapt or die, right? This is a problem of their own doing.


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#93 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 05:27 PM

It certainly is a problem of their own doing.  I'm not sure who they should expect to bail them out. 

 

The silver lining is that most are making $150,000/yr. (on paper) just by virtue of owning a home.  They'd be in much more trouble if homes prices were dropping - since the infrastructure would still be crumbing.

 

The tax deferral rates are a pretty good deal.  0.70% for the regular (seniors) program, and  2.70% for the family hardship plans.


Edited by VicHockeyFan, 28 November 2017 - 05:31 PM.

<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#94 Nparker

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 05:33 PM

So defer property taxes until it's sold...

If everyone does that how will the infrastructure get funded?


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#95 Nparker

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 05:35 PM

...Let's keep in mind that Oak Bay residents, via their Council, just turned down a nice development that would have added some nice dollar amounts to their tax base, as they have done many times before...

Oak Bay needs to implement an annual $25,000/tree Garry Oak maintenance tax.


Edited by Nparker, 28 November 2017 - 05:35 PM.

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#96 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 05:35 PM

The take-up is pretty darned low.

 

 

The Grumpy Taxpayer$ (yes, that’s a dollar sign) of Greater Victoria is an advocacy group dedicated to lower taxes and more accountable municipal government. It has just released figures — the result of a freedom-of-information filing with the B.C. Finance Ministry — showing 6,339 homeowners in the capital region’s 13 municipalities deferred $22.2 million in taxes last year.

 

 

http://www.timescolo...ments-1.2183996


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#97 todd

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 05:41 PM

If everyone does that how will the infrastructure get funded?


Invest the budget in tweed.

#98 johnk

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 05:44 PM

If everyone does that how will the infrastructure get funded?


The province via one of its agencies makes up the shortfall.

#99 johnk

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 05:48 PM

It certainly is a problem of their own doing.  I'm not sure who they should expect to bail them out. 
 
The silver lining is that most are making $150,000/yr. (on paper) just by virtue of owning a home.  They'd be in much more trouble if homes prices were dropping - since the infrastructure would still be crumbing.
 
The tax deferral
rates are a pretty good deal.  0.70% for the regular (seniors)
program, and  2.70% for the family hardship plans.


Best of all, its simple interest not compound. If the tax bill is 5 grand a year its free money because OB houses certainly appreciate yearly by more than that.

#100 todd

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Posted 28 November 2017 - 06:01 PM

The province via one of its agencies makes up the shortfall.


How does the province make up for the shortfall?

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