To the editor,
For years, North Huron council and staff have fielded questions about why North Huron has such high taxes. Those concerns have come from residents, from business owners and from people looking to relocate to the area.
The response from staff, which was always echoed by council members, has always been the same: North Huron has high taxes because of the top-tier services the municipality offers. Every year one staff member or council member would say the services provided by North Huron are akin to those of much larger centres with larger tax-bases to draw upon.
Former Deputy Reeve Trevor Seip would often say, if you want lower taxes, tell council what services you want to do without. Whether it’s waste pick-up, social services, community centres or non-essential snow removal, something would need to give if people would want to see taxes lowered (or just not going up as quickly).
This year, however, facing significant increases, North Huron staff and council seem to have forgotten the refrain that North Huron’s high taxes are tied to its larger-than-life services and are looking at cutting its way to prosperity (which doesn’t ever really work).
The reaction, as proposed by staff (and likely tied to discussions at other budget meetings, if not behind the scenes entirely) has been to cut or reduce funding to North Huron’s most important services: cultural and recreation opportunities.
Sure, roads are paramount and water and wastewater are essential (according to Bill 23 anyway) but what’s the point in having roads if they only go to desolate communities?
What’s the point in having a huge community centre in Wingham if you gut out the recreation components of it? We’re still going to pay for the space as it’s not like you can just let it freeze. Also, you’re putting parents out, as the centre offered a great summer program with on-site swimming.
What’s the point in having a world-class theatre if council can’t support it fully, and in turn rely on it for municipal networking and drawing in tourists?
What’s the point in having one of the best event-hosting campgrounds in the region if you’re going to close the metaphorical doors?
What’s the point in having a great arena in Blyth sit empty when at least a few of the lights will need to be kept on?
We need to see some creativity here. Instead of building new council chambers, let’s use the Blyth Community Centre’s unused spaces to host staff and take back the old council chambers. Kill three birds with one stone: take back council chambers, have the centre see more use and don’t close down a community facility.
The same thing could be done in Wingham. Move some staff to the Hot Stove Lounge, since council was considering that as a potential site for council chambers anyway. Again, it could free up the previous council chambers and encourage use of existing facilities without requiring huge financial investments.
Stop looking at these spaces as albatrosses around the municipality’s neck and start considering how to use them more effectively.
North Huron’s communities and ratepayers are used to high taxes. It’s not a good reality, but it’s the one we’re working with. Anyone who has been here for more than a couple years knows what we’re paying isn’t great, but it’s better than losing all the facilities and touchstones that make Wingham, Blyth, Belgrave and East Wawanosh the places we’ve chosen to live.
Admitting that cuts aren’t going to be popular doesn’t give staff carte blanche to gut the community to make their bottom line look better. Knowing the taxes are too high doesn’t give certain members of council the right to try to enforce their own personal agenda on this community of communities.
North Huron’s staff and council missed the mark here and, instead of realizing that, council wasted more money asking for reports into drastic decisions and drastic cuts that, if they have any sense at all, know the public won’t support.
Send staff back to the drawing board. Look at the municipality’s largest expenses, like wages and benefits, before they suggest cutting things that make this community a worthwhile one to live in.
Ashleigh Scott
North Huron
