The Editor,
A letter to Port Moody Mayor Mike Clay and city council:
How can Port Moody's elected council even think of a nearly 7% increase in property taxes for 2013?
I know some members of this council have tried to resist some increases in expenses, only to be outvoted. Mayor Mike Clay claims in a local news report that much of the city's budget woes can be placed on previous administrations - so I must conclude he's pointing the finger at himself and three of our current councillors who have been in those administrations for at least six years. Hopefully they all will have learned by now that they need to be tougher on spending and will have the courage to do that.
It also seems apparent from the published budget projection numbers that we taxpayers are paying heavily for the election contributions our local unions have made to many of the councillors who have been more than generous in their approval of increased pay and benefits to city staff. Also, apparently we are feeling an income pinch, which, I suggest, will continue, at least in part because of anti-business attitudes displayed by some councillors.
In light of the recent report on councillors' spending for travel to conferences and the like, it also seems apparent that it's too much to ask many members of council to remember that we who pay the taxes are not getting 6% and 7% increases in our incomes and thus should not be subjected to such increases in property tax and other municipal levies.
James Peacock, Port Moody
