Comments on: Councillor Gives Residents an Update on Tax Reform http://www.district2news.com/news/politics/2010/01/24/councillor-gives-residents-an-update-on-tax-reform/ NEWS | EVENTS | INFO Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:43:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Steve Boyce http://www.district2news.com/news/politics/2010/01/24/councillor-gives-residents-an-update-on-tax-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-722 Steve Boyce Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:13:55 +0000 http://www.district2news.com/?p=1204#comment-722 PS. It was not my intent to knock the councillors on the "water tax with no water service" being charged to Lockview residents by the Halifax Water Commission. I simply believe that councillors are uable to have much effect under the current structure. PS. It was not my intent to knock the councillors on the “water tax with no water service” being charged to Lockview residents by the Halifax Water Commission. I simply believe that councillors are uable to have much effect under the current structure.

]]> By: Steve Boyce http://www.district2news.com/news/politics/2010/01/24/councillor-gives-residents-an-update-on-tax-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-714 Steve Boyce Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:26:55 +0000 http://www.district2news.com/?p=1204#comment-714 This article highlights the fundamental problem that lies at the heart of amalgamation. If this information is accurate then forming our own rural council is the only way we can keep tax levels fair for our residents. Under the current system of representation the urban councillors will always out number the rural councillors. The over taxing of rural residents will continue unabated. For example, as a result of a policy chnage made by HRM in the past couple of years, Lockview Road residents pay several hundred dollars a year to the Halifax Water Commission even though they have no central water. We are on our second councillor since this theft of money from Lockview residents began and both Krista Snow and now Barry Dalrymple are either unwilling or unable to rectify this unjust treatment of their constituents. The recent change in policy resulted in an effective tax increase in many cases of over 20% in one year for Lockview residents. It is easy to agree with the councillor on a tax system based to some degree on services provided and property value. In my view income should not be considered a factor when paying property taxes. Many of the services and infrastructure provided by the municipal level of government is cost shared by the provincial and federal levels of government. Both the federal and provincial goverments already tax people based upon their income and any move by the municipal level of government to do so would result in duplication of payment by those already having their incomes taxed at a higher level provincially and federally. Good luck Barry. This article highlights the fundamental problem that lies at the heart of amalgamation. If this information is accurate then forming our own rural council is the only way we can keep tax levels fair for our residents. Under the current system of representation the urban councillors will always out number the rural councillors. The over taxing of rural residents will continue unabated.

For example, as a result of a policy chnage made by HRM in the past couple of years, Lockview Road residents pay several hundred dollars a year to the Halifax Water Commission even though they have no central water. We are on our second councillor since this theft of money from Lockview residents began and both Krista Snow and now Barry Dalrymple are either unwilling or unable to rectify this unjust treatment of their constituents. The recent change in policy resulted in an effective tax increase in many cases of over 20% in one year for Lockview residents.

It is easy to agree with the councillor on a tax system based to some degree on services provided and property value. In my view income should not be considered a factor when paying property taxes. Many of the services and infrastructure provided by the municipal level of government is cost shared by the provincial and federal levels of government. Both the federal and provincial goverments already tax people based upon their income and any move by the municipal level of government to do so would result in duplication of payment by those already having their incomes taxed at a higher level provincially and federally.

Good luck Barry.

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