Fall River (D2N) – Councillor Barry Dalrymple says changes to the HRM’s Municipal Transit Tax rate is a positive step for residents living in District... Full Article
Fall River (D2N) – Councillor Barry Dalrymple says changes to the HRM’s Municipal Transit Tax rate is a positive step for residents living in District 2.
“We have been paying transit tax since amalgamation,” said Dalrymple. “We have been paying to subsidize city transit since then. They buried the transit tax rate in the General rate.”
“People should know this is not a new transit tax that was passed,” Dalrymple said, “it isn’t. This is a new tax structure that will replace the old one.”
The councillor said when he realized the truth about the matter he went to other rural councillors with the information. “Hardly anyone knew it,” he said, “they knew in the city almost from day one.”
Dalrymple said rural residents had been paying the transit tax; it had been combined with the general rate and not many people knew the facts. People living in urban areas of the district were paying $168 based on an average home assessment of $181,000. Suburban residents were paying an average of $268, and people in rural areas were paying approximately $203.
“When I realized what was going on I was absolutely furious. I went to them (Council) and I said we wanted transit, we pay for it and we want it now,” said Dalrymple. “It’s time to get transit into rural areas. I went to HRM finance and told them to find ways and options to make rural transit expansion possible.”
The new transit tax structure has reduced the amount residents living in this district pay. “The vast majority of our residents out here will benefit,” said Dalrymple. “This is massive. There is now uniformed change across HRM; this paves the way for rural transit expansion.”
Under the original plan, when rural transit service comes to this area, any home within a three mile radius was to pay an extra area rate. Dalrymple was not impressed. “I said “no, three-miles is not acceptable, absolutely not. I brought it back and Council passed it,” he said. The new tax structure means residents will pay a fair bit less.
Now only homes within a one-mile radius of a bus stop will pay the extra tax, which is based upon a rate set at 10.8 cents per $100 assessed value. The regional transit tax is 2.2 cents per $100 of assessed value – or approximately $40 for suburban residents who live outside the one-mile radius and approximately $90 for residents living in rural areas.
The councillor said in communities already paying an extra charge, like Beaver Bank, that area tax rate comes off. “Right now, in this taxation year,” said Dalrymple. “Bussing stays.”
Rapid transit is in the works for commuters living in urban and rural areas. “A number of weeks ago, we walked property that HRM has picked to be the new Park & Ride location in Fall River,” said Dalrymple. “We can’t reveal that location at this time because we are in the process of purchasing the land. Special buses have been ordered for Rapid Transit and we are slated to be a go for fall, 2010. As far as local rural transit, we have made great strides.”
The Halifax International Airport is waiting for transit service as well. “Halifax Int’l Airport did its presentation last week and one of the biggest needs for the future is making the connection between the airport and the downtown,” said Dalrymple. “Park & Ride won’t be part of the local bus route; it will be part of the rural express service. Rapid Transit will make stops in Fall River and Elmsdale within a year or so.”
But tax reform is not going ahead without a few bumps in the road, and although the councillor has won the initial battle on transit tax, the war on tax reform is far from over. “The whole transit tax discussion,” said Dalrymple. “We have already begun the tax reform. It is going to be months and months of a year-long war. I am not kidding. City councillors do not want tax reform I think because they realize rural is subsidizing the transit in those areas. I think everyone is asking why we are subsidizing in those areas. For example, green bin collection – city folks get it weekly in the summer. Now they say they will give green bin services every week to us in Fall River, but not to Wellington, Grand Lake, or Beaver Bank. It says to me not only are we second-class citizens here, but Wellington and Beaver Bank are third class. Even when we get a little bit we can’t get it all.”
Dalrymple says it is obvious how lacking services are here in his district compared to the same services supplied to the city areas. “I hardly ever see lawn mowers out here. Last month I emailed one department after another constantly, asking them to mow something out here; they don’t, not the sports park, not sub-streets, ever,” said the Councillor. “I was driving over on Lacewood last week and there were six pieces of equipment mowing there. When was the last time you saw any of our streets being looked after like that, and looking like Lacewood? And when they build the new four-pad rink in the city, we will pay for that one with our general rate, but when we built the new Rec Centre here in Fall River it was not on the general rate, we pay it in an area rate. The Beaver Bank Kinsac Community Centre is area rated too, but any sports centre in the city is general rated.”
Dalrymple says big-blocks of city councillors vote and get things done, but “when rural want things done, it’s “pay for it yourselves,” he said. “Waterlines in the city – Spryfield and North End for instance. Did they charge those streets local area rates? Rivendale and Fall River Rd. have to pay our own area rate. These are all examples of tax reform. Currently in HRM taxes are based on the value of your home. It has nothing to do with the service you get or your income. I want taxes based a little on assessment, a little on income, and a lot on services rendered.”
The councillor says he thinks this will help the people who need and deserve it and be a much fairer scale for paying. “I want to help the seniors and lower income people but I want it based on municipal services,” he said, “and the city people need to pay their share.”
Dalrymple will soon be announcing a date for a public meeting, where people can come and listen and discuss transit expansion. “I want folks to know, if you’re interested you better be there and fight for it,” he said, “say your piece and see what’s going on.”
