872 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

And that’s just municipal. What are education and CRD components looking like for this year?

[Victoria Watcher]

I’m pretty sure our overlords know what they are doing.

[Nparker]

And up and up it goes

[Victoria Watcher]

“We determined that such an increase would be reasonable, given the financial circumstances our taxpayers are facing due to outside impacts relating to the cost of living,” Brice said. She said the original plan had allowed funding to meet short-term solutions to advance active transportation and bring in critical new personnel.

 

_______________________

 

 

Mayor Fred Haynes supported the budget, saying it was about finding a balance.

 

He said the entire council wants more affordable housing, an active transportation plan, traffic calming and a robust climate change plan, but in order to pay for some initiatives they need more revenue.

 

“No one likes to pay more taxes, but I believe this one is an appropriate tax lift and it has my whole support,” he said.

 

Coun. Ned Taylor agreed, noting the council and community have a number of priorities.

 

“And we simply can’t advance these priorities without increased spending and increased resourcing,” he said.

 

“The community has told us, for example, they want improvements to road safety and they want them now, not in 30 years. And I, for one, don’t want to wait until more people die on our roads before we start to increase taxes to address these infrastructure gaps within our community.

 

“These kinds of improvements are expensive, but they are necessary and I believe the community is prepared to pay for them.”

 

 

 

 

That's all quite rich.

 

https://www.timescol...-object-5328576

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 04 May 2022 - 08:13 AM.

[Mike K.]

Next week, council will be debating how to bring down the cost of living, and find solutions to make housing affordable.

Saanich renters just saw the tax portion of their rent rise nearly 7%, plus or minus whatever the CRD and school districts decide.

[JohnsonStBridge]

It is interesting to see Saanich council approving a nearly 7% tax hike and close to double that is being proposed by Victoria council. And yet some Saanich residents will say they want nothing to do with amalgamation as their council is doing a much better job.

[Nparker]

...Saanich renters just saw the tax portion of their rent rise nearly 7%, plus or minus whatever the CRD and school districts decide.

Since the Province has capped rent increases, many renters will not feel the impact of the property tax increase. This is how municipalities get away with these egregious tax hikes, at least in the short term.

[JohnsonStBridge]

Saanich renters just saw the tax portion of their rent rise nearly 7%, plus or minus whatever the CRD and school districts decide.

 

School districts do not decide property tax rates. 

[Nparker]

...Mayor Fred Haynes supported the budget, saying it was about finding a balance.He said the entire council wants more affordable housing...

When did increased taxes ever lead to greater affordability?

[dasmo]

You haven't noticed the doublespeak on the rise lately? 

[Nparker]

You haven't noticed the doublespeak on the rise lately? 

I wonder if George Orwell knew he was writing a how-to manual for future generations of politicians with 1984.

[Mike K.]

School districts do not decide property tax rates. 

 

One of the largest components of property taxes is the school district education fee. Municipalities are only responsible for the municipal portion, not the others.

[JohnsonStBridge]

One of the largest components of property taxes is the school district education fee. 

 

I am fully aware of the school tax but you are incorrect that it is decided by school districts themselves. If you read your property tax invoice it is clear that is collected on behalf of the Province who sets the property tax. The tax itself goes into general revenue for the province and does not necessarily correlate with education funding for that school district. In reality, school districts with higher assessment values heavily subsidize the operating grants the province provides to school districts with lower assessment values even after mill rates are factored in. I'd argue calling it a school tax is misleading and it would be more appropriate to call it the Provincial Property Tax.

[Mike K.]

That is true, I just didn't want to explain it in so many words. The province works with the districts to figure that stuff out. I think what I wanted my point to be is that the education component of property taxes is very big, and can increase or average down the 6.67% or whatever Saanich is going for, so the real-world property tax increase that we pay could end up higher, or lower. People just assume the whole thing rises at 6.67%.

[Awaiting Juno]

It is interesting to see Saanich council approving a nearly 7% tax hike and close to double that is being proposed by Victoria council. And yet some Saanich residents will say they want nothing to do with amalgamation as their council is doing a much better job.

 

Look ahead to what is planned for subsequent years. I fear Victoria did an election year "blow softening".

[Nparker]

CoV Council needs you Juno, to make common sense fiscal decisions in the coming years.

[Tom Braybrook]

One of the largest components of property taxes is the school district education fee. Municipalities are only responsible for the municipal portion, not the others.

doesn't the province give me a fat and juicy grant to offset almost all of my education tax portion?

[Victoria Watcher]

If you live in the home. If others live there you must pay for their education though.

[LJ]

“These kinds of improvements are expensive, but they are necessary and I believe the community is prepared to pay for them.”

 

They did a poll about the feds proposed dental plan, 69% were in favour.

 

When told their taxes would go up in order to pay for it, approval dropped to 29%.

[Midnightly]

They did a poll about the feds proposed dental plan, 69% were in favour.

 

When told their taxes would go up in order to pay for it, approval dropped to 29%.

 

 

and how much are taxes going to go up so we can have adequate medical care again? where oh maybe 80% of Canadians have a family doctor again for preventive care needs and walk in clinics can actually have walk in spaces again, allowing ER's to run efficiently and be used mainly for Emergency cases again (want to add i'm not against taxes going up to pay for this.. no one should be on a 1yr plus waiting list for a knee or hip replacement.. or 6+months for a specialist scan)

Edited by Midnightly, 05 May 2022 - 09:56 PM.