I didn’t really want to go down this rabbit hole but after listening to our mayor on the radio I needed too. Our mayor indicated that there was not much he could do regarding the budget. With his years of experience constantly bragging of his capabilities I find this hard to believe. His whole career at the public trough, the multiple public pensions that get adjusted every year, will this 6.44% tax increase hurt his quality of life?
Keep in mind, a previous council approved a bylaw providing for all team members to get an automatic raise every year. Without discussion we gave everybody huge pay increases. The CAO’s budget centre 13.5%, the Recreation Service budget centre 33%, economic development budget centre 9%. Should our mayor have raised this bylaw for reconsideration especially based on his experience? He knows what we are all facing today but made no attempt to help us.
I mentioned in a previous letter that the two special tax levies should be removed. Imagine the sales pitch that we could have heard from our mayor.
“We know times are hard, costs going up everywhere but despite that we were able to provide a tax relief of 5% by removing the special levies for 2024 and we gave administration everything they wanted which included new positions, more funding for programs, more spending on projects and the final outcome is a 1.44% tax increase”.
When a radio personality from CKLW speaks publicly that they would like to live in Amherstburg but they can’t afford it, we have a problem. When it costs Amherstburg residents 40% more to live here than in Kingsville, we have a problem. Our administration will not solve this problem. It is at the will (direction) of council to solve it. Unfortunately I have to agree with Deputy Mayor Gibb, we do have a divided council. Four members have established that Administration is their priority and three are trying to support the taxpayer.
Does our future look bright?
Rodger Hudson
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