A homeowner with some of the highest property taxes in Flin Flon is urging city council to more evenly distribute the municipal tab.
Bruce Reid countered the familiar argument that spreading out the tax load would disproportionately hurt low-income residents.
“I feel for the poor, and I sincerely mean that,” he told council at its Dec. 20 meeting. “But if we’re going to help the poor, I think we’ve got to get cracking and spread this tax load around. We’re not going to eliminate their suffering, we’re not going to eliminate poor, but we’re sure as hell going to make life a little bit better for them.”
Reid pointed out that because of the market-based taxation system, some homeowners are paying $667 as an annual debenture for the city’s water treatment plant while others pay $97 “for the same drink of water, the same privilege of taking a shower and flushing the toilet.”
“To me, this is wrong,” he said.
Also wrong, Reid said, is that 624 homeowners pay 50 per cent of the taxes in Flin Flon. This figure was previously provided by the city.
Reid, whose property taxes total $5,500 a year, said many people are “uneducated” and “uncaring” when it comes to how their tax dollars are collected and spent.
Reid said that over the past 25 years, most new homes in the area have been built not within Flin Flon’s borders, but in outlying areas.
“My thoughts are that that has to be looked at and those people are going to have to start to shoulder some of the responsibility, for sure,” he said.
Reid said the city website should include budgets and other documents, and should contain not only good news, but also address the challenges facing the municipality – or as he put it, that “we’re up to our a-- in alligators and you’ve got to drain the swamp.”
Coun. Karen MacKinnon said the city’s website is new, with more and more content being added.
Reid also called for more civility from members of the public who attend council meetings. He said profanity is inappropriate and suggested a set of consequences be established for those who misbehave in the council chambers.
“We’re here to make things work, to cooperate, not to throw stones or mud,” he said.
Coun. Colleen McKee said Reid provided a good overview of some topics that needed to be brought to light.
She acknowledged the city faces “huge problems.”
“Absolutely we do,” McKee said. “Do we have strategies? We’re starting to work on some now. We have a new mayor and we’re starting to work on some new things. I feel positive about the direction that we’re going. This is a very hard-working group.”
She lamented the small number of people who attend council meetings to provide feedback, and voiced her support for placing a member of the public on all council sub-committees.
