There has been much talk about the ToL budget and lots of speculation about how any increase in this tough economic time will hurt people. But the truth of the matter is that no Council member wants to vote for a tax increase if it is not needed and we as citizens need to realize that the Township is not a business.
We as a community have assets and needs that require cash. We don't have the corporate options to cut staff, empty inventories, or reduce the number of widgets we manufacture. The decisions we make can impact public safety/lives, health and well being of our residents, and the future quality of life for our children.
ToL Council have looked at the resources and assets we have and have taken into account current economic realities. They have come up with a proposed budget that they feel is reasonable and helps to maintain service levels that are conservative, as compared with other municipalities our size. The proposal is for a 5% tax increase and if you don't use certain user-pay services like water, sewer or ToL trash pickup, you don't pay for it. Here is what 5% looks like from the old 2008 rate and the proposed 2009 rates based on the average home assessed at $473,000. The average household will pay $64.00 more per year and preserve what we hold dear to our Langley Township.
User Pay Utilities:
The biggest thing that Township taxpayers MUST consider and which the local newspaper editors and a certain blog will NOT tell you enough about, is the Contribution to Capital that would be contained in a .93%, 1% or 5% tax increase and how Township Reserves would be depleted to compensate for a lower tax increase. We will publish more on these another time, but wanted to give you this information to digest.
Here is the public input form that will be available to you at the budget input sessions to take place on the 4th Floor of the Township Municipal Facility on:
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
3 - 8pm
Thursday, April 2, 2009
1 - 6pm
Location: Township Civic Facility
20338 - 65 Avenue
4th Floor Presentation Theatre Foyer
3 comments:
Interesting.... We are days away from the very important, Open House for the 2009 Budget and five year plan, and not a word of it on this one the Langley Free Press blog!! Could it be they are too embarrassed to have the public show up and see the true facts and figures of a 1% tax hike...... over 8 million dollar deficit by 2013!!
Didn't Green promise 0-0-0????
I would love to hear those Green, Richter supports explain why the Township residents should allow this council to put us in the whole by over 8 million!!
Besides the old line, the tax payers are not able to afford $60 more a year!
It is quite clear readimng this that the Finance Committee did not do their homework and would have put this community in to serious long-term financial problems. I see this again as the work of a mayor who has not done their homework and a group of followers who fell for the tune of the Pied Piper.
Yeah, that $5 a month is really gonna break the bank. How will I ever make ends meet? :P
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