TAXATION

Taxation is already the largest expense item in family budgets when all forms of government levies on our earnings are considered. How much more are we willing to tolerate?

“… nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

— Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, 1789

Mayoral candidates Bill Denby and Doug Elmslie appear to differ on the topic of TAXATION.

Bill says that he wants to freeze (and possibly reduce?)  the tax burden that the City will impose on its residents over the next 4 years. Doug favours a modest annual increase which could result in a nearly 20% hike in property taxes over the same timeline.

Jim Riches has reminded us that MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation) will soon be undertaking a new study of property prices in our City which will inevitably find justification for an upwards adjustment in taxable property values which have risen sharply in recent years.

Taxation is already the largest expense item affecting the family budget when all forms of government levies on our earnings are considered. Citizens are rightly concerned about high taxes. They are also voters, however, and it begs the question why the majority of them have empowered politicians and public officials to tax and spent so freely.

Citizens tend to complain about taxes and the high cost of living in between elections, not during the election campaigns when they hold the power to do something about it. Many demand “transparency” and  “accountability” from our elected representatives and the institutions that they “supervise” as legislators, but those demands never materialize in actual results.

So the “political wheel” keeps turning. It gathers mass and momentum in every election resulting in steady increases in the share of our economy that is occupied by the public sector. The “democracy show” must go on in order to entertain our electors and assure them that their single vote continues to matter in determining what sort of government that they can expect.

The Job or City Councillor

A few months ago, I considered running for City Council. I did my homework as I do for most major decisions. Besides becoming familiar with the Municipal Act, a document of about 80 pages that defines the scope of authorities delegated by the Ontario government to local governments, I spoke with three sitting Councillors at length. I sought to understand from these discussions the reality of serving on City Council.

It wasn’t long before I had concluded that the likelihood of achieving the kind of changes that I desire as a Less Government Advocate is zero. It became clear to me that the number of hurdles to overcome are so numerous, and the vested-interest stakeholders are so entrenched, that no one could achieve what I want no matter how talented, wealthy or influential.

Getting Results

Bill Denby is the only Mayoral Candidate who appears to “dream big”. As a business man, he has creative ideas that may be possible to achieve if he were head of a private corporation that could hire the right people and acquire the right financial partners to get the job done. However, big dreams are not enough. I believe that Bill underestimates the roadblocks that he would face if he were elected Mayor to achieve his professed ambition for the City. I fear that he would have little to show for his efforts after four years as Mayor.

Likewise for Jim Riches. As likeable as Jim is, he would have benefited from at least one term as a Ward Councillor before running for Mayor. A “walk before I run” strategy to build the knowledge, relationships, experience  and judgement related to serving on Council would have been his best long term plan if he eventually wants to be Mayor.

I struggle with my assessment of Faye McGee as a potential Mayor. My first impression of her was not positive but her public appearances in the All Candidates events reveal her to be a witty, “no nonsense” character who has a long history of service to various communities in the City. My concern is that she appears to be out of touch with the current realities facing our City Council vis-a-vis its governance issues and how to deal with them. If she had been a Councillor in recent years, I would have likely had more confidence in her abilities as a Mayor.

The 3 front runners for Mayor

Pat Dunn, Kathleen Seymour-Fagan and Doug Elmslie all have at least 8 years on Council and face a relative small learning curve to get up to speed as Mayor. Of course, their track records as Councillors vary as can be expected when comparing candidates for any job.

These lead Candidates have all claimed this to be a “pivotal election” because growth is coming to the Kawarthas (the next Muskokas?) and City Council needs experience and a steady hand to prepare us for this change. I generally agree with a few caveats.

Unity of Purpose

Like any team, the prospect of success increases if all members are rowing in the same direction. City Council has 9 voters who will deliberate on and pass motions regarding many matters it will face in the next 4 years as many demands for change land on the City’s doorstep. It will be critical that the Mayor and 8 Ward Councillors find common agreement in a vision and priorities for this City. It not, a “lame duck” Council will be the result at a time we can least afford it.

Volunteer Work

After deciding not to run for a seat on Council, I have considered volunteering for a spot on a task force or committee. From a few discussions I have had, these groups appear to be little more that a “check list” exercise to offer the appearance of the City staff being open to inputs from citizens on matters involving planning and service operations. I been a results-oriented person throughout my 42 year career and the idea of participating in “consultations” for the sake of public appearances would likely leave me feeling very frustrated.

A Silver Lining?

One positive topic that caught my interest was the suggestion by Faye McGee and other candidates to decentralize some decision-making to the Ward level. I have long admired Switzerland and its decentralized governance model. As the City grows, it makes sense to me to take advantage of the local knowledge and volunteer communities that exist in every town and hamlet of our sprawling City. In reality, I would prefer a much more robust form of the Swiss ‘Direct Democracy’ model right across Canada, but that is a topic for another day.

Less Government is still my #1 priority

In the past, my political interests focused on provincial and federal realm. This is the first time I have taken a serious interest in municipal politics. It’s been an eye-opener. As someone who has advocated for Less Government since 1979, I am more convinced than ever that every level of government needs to go on a severe diet.

I return often to the Four Principles for a Civil Society that Maxime Bernier introduced to federal politics when he launched the Peoples Party of Canada: Individual Liberty, Personal Responsibility, Respect and Fairness. Yes, they each need to be more clearly defined but this is where public discourse comes in. I recommend that the City of Kawartha Lakes embrace the same principles and that City Council consider all future policy decisions through that lens.