Just two members of the public chose to speak about the City鈥檚 2014 financial plan, when given the opportunity on Feb. 17.
But that鈥檚 still twice as many as attended the budget open house on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
Before addressing the proposed 2.71 per cent tax increase homeowners in the City of 91原创 will see this year, Warner Smith, a resident of the Mossey Estates area of the City, expressed his disappointment with the low public turnout at the council meeting.
Perhaps the City should consider serving coffee and doughnuts to draw a better crowd, he suggested.
鈥淚t鈥檚 appalling that there are so few people here.鈥�
A 12-year resident of the City, Smith told council that his property assessment rose by $53,000 this year, and it鈥檚 getting to the point where his taxes are so high that he might have to move out of the home he built on a quarter acre lot.
鈥淭hey (property assessors) assume that because it鈥檚 12 years old, it must have a finished basement.
It doesn鈥檛, he added.
鈥淭hey assess property by flying over it. It鈥檚 outrageous,鈥� said Smith.
Smith asked whether council had taken into account seniors like himself who aren鈥檛 going to be able to afford to stay where they are if taxes continue to rise.
鈥淚 may have to move someplace smaller and I鈥檓 not ready to do that.鈥�
鈥淭axes 鈥� everything 鈥� goes up every year. It鈥檚 a fact of life,鈥� said Warren Stuart.
However, the Grade Crescent resident told council, he is confused by the numbers.
Numerous single family dwellings are being torn down each year and replaced by strata units, he noted.
And while each unit is taxed at a lower rate than a detached house, there are far more of them.
鈥淲here鈥檚 the extra money going? You鈥檝e got a huge revenue base increase and yet taxes go up.鈥�
The City will receive an additional $354,000 in new growth revenue in 2014, compared to 2013, Darrin Leite replied.
Even with that, there is a $593,000 projected shortfall to be made up by the 2.71 per cent tax increase.
Without the new growth revenue, the gap between the municipal tax revenue and what it will take to run the City in 2014 would be closer to $950,000, he said.
Council gave the budget final reading on March 3, passing it in a 4-1 vote, with only Councillor Dave Hall opposed.
Councillor Teri James was absent.
