Newsletter June 2. 2021 – Tax Notice Information Demystified
The Tax Notice Pie Chart: Entitled “The Median Residential Tax Increase Breakdown.” “Median” explained, means the average household will pay an additional $207 this year. Note: This will grow exponentially year-after-year.
The Tax Notice Pie Chart identifies four pie-slices:
What is the real tax notice message?
1. “Forced Growth” No information provided about what this inflationary, almost half-of-the pie represents - so we are none the wiser.
2.“Infrastructure Renewal” This budget allocation may seem impressive: however, if the untaxable, excessive land-use densification initiatives that are currently being promoted go ahead, and more climate change flooding events occur, this budget and the budget after that will not be sufficient to fund any kind of infrastructure replacement/ improvement. All this at a time when the District should be trying desperately to accumulate funds for infrastructure renewal.
3.“New Staffing to Maintain Service Levels” It is difficult to understand this significant slice-of-the pie. Since 2015 (the last two Council terms to the present) administrative staffing has increased by leaps and bounds – totaling $1,000,000 annually. According to the District the core staff has not increased. Therefore, it would be nice to know exactly what service levels we paying to maintain.
For example, up until a couple of years ago part of the overall responsibilities of the Chief Administrative officer (CAO) and Director of Corporate Services was to provide “strategic priority quarterly reports” and media relations”. It is not clear then why two new specialized staff positions were necessary?
After all, the Chief Administrative Officer had a new Executive Assistant position and the Director of Corporate Service has a Deputy. It seemed very extravagant to hire two new administrative staff members (with a combined salary of well over $250,000) whose expertise and job was specifically to write a priority list and take care of media relations. Especially since the all previous CAOs and Directors of Corporate Services seemed to be coping just fine.
4. “New Initiatives” These include 1500 -1700 proposed new suites and many infill units. Why is this problematic: At present the failing infrastructure cannot cope and is not coping with the additional runoff from all the new excessive lot coverage and tree cutting; new development is currently not paying its way; multi-tenants means multi-cars and all these additional cars will add to the current on-street parking and traffic bottleneck problems; and expensive enforcement and administration costs have not been identified as being important.
As very little of this “New Initiative” growth is taxable, where will the required new “service level” revenue come from? Who will be expected to pay for the significant enforcement and administration costs? Why hasn’t this revenue source been identified?
Given the pandemic and new densification costs, “New Staffing” and “New Initiatives” add up to more than the “Infrastructure Renewal” and the fact that all this is bound to influence next year's tax increase……What can Council be thinking?
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“Nothing is inevitable if you are paying attention” Oak Bay Watch
Oak Bay Watch is a volunteer community association and its members have a variety of professional backgrounds in both the public and private sector.
*******Please help us continue to provide you with information about Community concerns and Council decisions and actions. Oak Bay Watch members also help community groups with their specific development concerns. Donate to Oak Bay Watch - even $5 or $10 dollars provides expenses for door- to- door handouts and helps us maintain our website. Oak Bay Watch is committed to ensuring the Community gets the full range of information on budget, governance and all key development issues – a well-informed opinion cannot be made without this.
(Please use Donate Button at bottom of oakbaywatch.com Home Page)Home
Keep informed and sign up for our newsletter – bottom of Newsletter Menu Item.
The Tax Notice Pie Chart: Entitled “The Median Residential Tax Increase Breakdown.” “Median” explained, means the average household will pay an additional $207 this year. Note: This will grow exponentially year-after-year.
The Tax Notice Pie Chart identifies four pie-slices:
- “Forced Growth” is general increased costs of municipal operations.
- “Infrastructure Renewal”, representing one third of the budget, presumably includes the significant cost of fixing leaks, breaks and flooding repairs.
- “New Staffing to Maintain Service Levels” includes the many administrative staff added in recent years.
- “New Initiatives” includes the $200,000 plus budget allocated for the Secondary Suite study and the Infill Project Charter.
What is the real tax notice message?
1. “Forced Growth” No information provided about what this inflationary, almost half-of-the pie represents - so we are none the wiser.
2.“Infrastructure Renewal” This budget allocation may seem impressive: however, if the untaxable, excessive land-use densification initiatives that are currently being promoted go ahead, and more climate change flooding events occur, this budget and the budget after that will not be sufficient to fund any kind of infrastructure replacement/ improvement. All this at a time when the District should be trying desperately to accumulate funds for infrastructure renewal.
3.“New Staffing to Maintain Service Levels” It is difficult to understand this significant slice-of-the pie. Since 2015 (the last two Council terms to the present) administrative staffing has increased by leaps and bounds – totaling $1,000,000 annually. According to the District the core staff has not increased. Therefore, it would be nice to know exactly what service levels we paying to maintain.
For example, up until a couple of years ago part of the overall responsibilities of the Chief Administrative officer (CAO) and Director of Corporate Services was to provide “strategic priority quarterly reports” and media relations”. It is not clear then why two new specialized staff positions were necessary?
After all, the Chief Administrative Officer had a new Executive Assistant position and the Director of Corporate Service has a Deputy. It seemed very extravagant to hire two new administrative staff members (with a combined salary of well over $250,000) whose expertise and job was specifically to write a priority list and take care of media relations. Especially since the all previous CAOs and Directors of Corporate Services seemed to be coping just fine.
4. “New Initiatives” These include 1500 -1700 proposed new suites and many infill units. Why is this problematic: At present the failing infrastructure cannot cope and is not coping with the additional runoff from all the new excessive lot coverage and tree cutting; new development is currently not paying its way; multi-tenants means multi-cars and all these additional cars will add to the current on-street parking and traffic bottleneck problems; and expensive enforcement and administration costs have not been identified as being important.
As very little of this “New Initiative” growth is taxable, where will the required new “service level” revenue come from? Who will be expected to pay for the significant enforcement and administration costs? Why hasn’t this revenue source been identified?
Given the pandemic and new densification costs, “New Staffing” and “New Initiatives” add up to more than the “Infrastructure Renewal” and the fact that all this is bound to influence next year's tax increase……What can Council be thinking?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Nothing is inevitable if you are paying attention” Oak Bay Watch
Oak Bay Watch is a volunteer community association and its members have a variety of professional backgrounds in both the public and private sector.
*******Please help us continue to provide you with information about Community concerns and Council decisions and actions. Oak Bay Watch members also help community groups with their specific development concerns. Donate to Oak Bay Watch - even $5 or $10 dollars provides expenses for door- to- door handouts and helps us maintain our website. Oak Bay Watch is committed to ensuring the Community gets the full range of information on budget, governance and all key development issues – a well-informed opinion cannot be made without this.
(Please use Donate Button at bottom of oakbaywatch.com Home Page)Home
Keep informed and sign up for our newsletter – bottom of Newsletter Menu Item.