Dear Editor:
In preparation for the upcoming elections, my wife and I viewed/attended the Chamber of Commerce, Centre Wellington Community Foundation and Grande 101 all candidates meetings.
While growth, housing and council dynamics came up often in candidates’ presentations, one issue did not seem prioritized.
Our Centre Wellington property taxes have increased by 22% in the last five years. And the Centre Wellington capital levy (ie. bridge and culvert tax) which is misleadingly presented as 2%, now adds a full 10% to our township tax bill!
And while the township’s Asset Management Plan (mandated by the province) estimates the cost to repair/replace our bridges, roads, sewers, arenas and other aged infrastructure, it will definitely not “stabilize taxes” as one mayoral candidate suggests. Instead, it actually proposes even more tax increases.
We can’t talk about affordable housing, inflation and attracting/keeping people in our communities without finding creative ways to slow, rather than grow, property tax increases. They directly impact home ownership and rental affordability. They are themselves inflationary.
By talking to our candidates about spending restraint and slowing tax increases and by voting accordingly, we can make taxation a top priority in this election. As it should be.
Peter van Vloten,
Fergus