It’s everyone’s favourite time of year in municipal politics – budget time.
For the past few months, local municipal staff have been crunching numbers, creating their department’s wish list (and likely crossing a few items off after seeing the price), and figuring out what needs to be done in order to keep a tax increase at a minimum while also accomplishing the goals council has set out for the municipality in the coming year.
As a property owner, aside from your mortgage, your property tax bill may be the biggest bill you have to pay in a given year.
With that said, more often than not the day comes when a local council holds a budget meeting and our reporter is one of the few people in attendance. I understand that not everyone can find the time in their schedule to attend such a meeting; people have jobs and other obligations to keep, however I do find it frustrating when I am out in the community and people complain about the taxes.
I am no different than anyone else, I am not a fan of paying taxes. Taxes are so undesirable to some that an entire industry thrives in tropical islands for those with far more money than most of us to hide their money from the Canada Revenue Agency. However, taxes are a necessary evil in our society.
Taxes are how a municipality pays to maintain and repair (sometimes) our local roads and bridges. Taxes are how a municipality funds its recreation programs. Taxes are how a municipality funds bylaw enforcement, snow removal, and other services we’ve deemed essential over time.
Taxes suck, but so would having to fundraise every year to put snow plows on the road or to keep an arena open.
The budget process, as dry as it is to sit through, is one of the most important processes of the year. As I said earlier, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, which is why reporters from our newspapers cover the budget process.
We do our best to break down the meetings into a story that you can read without having to sit through the four- or five-hour budget meeting. And with the economy and inflation being what it is right now, I believe that this may be one of the most important years for local budgets.
This year’s budget process is going to cause municipalities to think long and hard about some of their projects and long-term goals. It is also going to show which councils have been thinking about the future and which ones focused more on looking good to the voters in previous years.
I also believe it is going to force councils to take a long and hard look at the services they provide – some of which they may have provided for years, or others which they have taken on because a higher level of government has dropped the ball or ignored them.
Each municipality has its own unique challenges they will be facing in the coming weeks, and will be making some hard choices.
That is where you, the taxpayer, come in.
Without anyone attending the budget meetings or budget open houses, or submitting feedback on the proposed budget (be it through official means or letters to the editor), council will make decisions based on the information in front of them.
We’ve all heard the saying, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”
Well, if a council considers a budget and nobody objects to it, does that mean they approve of it?
Not necessarily.
I encourage all of you to make your voices heard when it comes to the municipal budget this year.
The budget is made up of your hard-earned dollars and cents. You should have a say on how it’s spent.
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Mike Wilson is the editor of Midwestern Newspapers. Comments and feedback are welcome at mwilson@midwesternnewspapers.com.
