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EDITORIAL: Talking taxes

Engaging citizens in the mundane task of budget setting is difficult for most cities.

Engaging citizens in the mundane task of budget setting is difficult for most cities.

People are strapped for time, they don't know the issues and they aren't interested in spending a night in a city council chambers talking about the cost of road maintenance, tax hikes and utility fees.

Yet these are the very issues that citizens get upset about when their roads are full of pot holes and their taxes increase every year.

The city of Port Moody has apparently learned from experience that getting out into the community is better for community engagement than trying to lure folks to the council chambers on a Tuesday night - especially when a hockey game might be on.

To get people involved in the budget discussion, the city is holding council cafés during the day and in the evening this week including tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

On Saturday, the meetings are being held in two locations, with elected officials and city staff present: the recreation complex and city hall. It's a commitment of time but PoMo might just find out that it's worth it.