This campaign has become focused on 3 main points, all connected – taxes, services and staffing. You have heard conflicting information from my opponent and myself.
When you get two different opinions from your doctors, it is clear what you do. You seek out a third expert opinion! I am asking you to do that here. The experts are in the financial offices of the municipality. Ask them for the information; it is public and it is the information that is provided to the auditors and the provincial government. That will give you the facts. Staff will be able to tell you accurately what Meaford’s debt is. You can draw your own conclusions.
When you are comparing your taxes over the past years, I ask you not to just look at 2008, 2009 & 2010. Go back in your tax records to 2001. Look up your assessment and final tax bill for each year from 2001 to 2010 and see how each has changed over that 10 year period. For the last 3 years, we have been trying to recover from no tax increase for the previous 7 years. I do not want Meaford to have to repeat this last 10 years.
The 5 year budget/tax plan is working and has already allowed us to eliminate the deficit in 2010. By 2013 we will be putting significant money into reserves and capital and will be able to reduce the tax increase to cost of living. We started our financial recovery plan two years ago; this is not the time to change what is working successfully for Meaford.
We are NOT over-staffed! That was the conclusion of a significant group of your peers – taxpayers – when they took a great deal of time over this past year to study our corporate structure and interview each of our staff members. Ask the people who were on this Task Force for their conclusions and recommendations.
Your expectations of excellent service for our community can only be met with tax dollars. We have an excellent staff who are ready to serve you but they need the resources. Again, your Task Force reported that we are not wasting or misusing the resources you give us. Let us continue to improve the roads, clear the snow properly, maintain your recreational & cultural facilities just as you do your own homes.
Please consult the experts, not the politicians, when you are looking for the facts. At election time, politicians may give you the answers they think you want to hear. That is not what you need to hear. You need to have the true facts and understand them in order to make a judicious choice for council.
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