hospital expansion tax levy

2 More Days for 2012 Budget Input

Mike Cluett

This is just a reminder that you have until June 8th to submit your comments through the Town of Milton’s website for the 2012 Budget Call Report.

Here is the link to the survey.

The survey collects information from residents asking them questions on the priorities YOU would like to see Milton Town Council & Staff focus on for next years budget.  Personal information collected will not be used/sold for any other purpose.

Some of the priorities it will ask you about is fire services, winter control, transit, roadway maintenance, parking, traffic signals, parks, recreational facilities among others.  It will ask for your opinion if we should increase funding, maintain service levels, or decrease them.

Your comments are important and there are options for you to provide your opinions including if you support property tax increases to allow for increase in levels of services or new services.  Another question it asks if you support the dedicated tax levy for hospitall expansion and if you have any additional comments.  This question is very important and we’d like to hear your opinions on the matter.

So please take some time, if you havent already, to complete the survey.  It should take no more than approximately 5 minutes for you to complete but the input is important.

As always if you have something specific you’d like me to bring to council regarding these issues, feel free to call or email me mike@mikecluett.ca

The Town of Milton will continue to ask for input throughout the year as will your councillors to make sure that this upcoming budget represents what you feel our priorities should be.

The Budget Call report will be delivered to council this month and of course, there will be opportunities to meet with me and others over the next few weeks to have more comments submitted.

Democracy is a two way street and we need as much input as possible.  Dont be shy, complete the survey today!

Even More Feedback on Milton Budget & Tax Levy

Mike Cluett

Continuing with some of the feedback I posted earlier last week, here is another letter to the editor of the Milton Canadian Champion in todays paper.

A re-do needed on Town budget

Dear Editor:

Milton council appears to be out of touch with the reality of today’s economy.

The country is in a recession, thousands of Canadians are unemployed, and citizens are still reeling from the introduction of the HST and hydro cost increases. And still Milton council feels increasing our property taxes at twice the rate of inflation represents good government. It doesn’t.

The Bank of Canada is projecting a 2 per cent inflation rate for 2011, which should represent the absolute limit for property tax increases this year. Town council needs to get back to work and have Town staff provide them with spending reductions that will keep the tax increases within the 2 per cent target.

These reductions should include, at a minimum, a freeze on the hiring of new employees, unfilled positions being left vacant and capital projects being reduced, as they eventually create ongoing operations and maintenance expenses. The Town should also be looking to contract out any services that it performs that can be more cost-effectively provided by the private sector.

The 1 per cent hospital tax levy should be rescinded. Ontario residents are already burdened with high Provincial taxes to support health care. The Town shouldn’t be creating a ‘stealth’ health-care tax  through our property taxes.

One of the more pleasant surprises I experienced when I moved to Milton over a decade ago was reasonable property taxes. To keep these taxes reasonable, council needs to recognize that prudent management of our tax dollars is expected of our elected members of council.

The budget for 2011 needs to be re-opened and spending reductions introduced to lower the Town portion of property taxes to a maximum 2 per cent increase.

Sean McCafferty, Milton