The Ball Is In Your Court

Chris Watts would like town staff to set out in detail, how they  arrived at the rate to be charged  consumers  to recover the amount  charged  for water   by the Region.

Elizabeth Bishenden fears if I persist in my solitary argument that it's not the business of the corporation  to contribute to charitable causes, I might find myself  "sidelined and not part of the conversation"

Elizabeth, have no fear, as long as I have a seat on Council, I will be part of the conversation.

When I speak, I do not speak for myself alone. When I am elected ,voters have not bought  a pig in a poke. After almost  fifty years of being frank and open in my views and receiving sufficient support  to put me in a place where it matters, I am not afraid of being sidelined.

In the last term, a minimum if $126,000  of public money was  spent on lawyers fees  to stop me from expounding my views on town business.

Note who was elected and who was not.

Mr. Watts, town staff  have made two presentations to council to support the recommendations for increases in water rates to consumers. Eight members of Council have accepted the advice and  voted to impose the  increases, for the second year in a row,to the tune of 24%.

I do not accept  justifications for  rate increases. I quarrel with the calculations. I contend as well, with full confidence, recovery costs for water used by the municipality are not evenly distributed because not every home in the municipality receives a water bill.

I also contend  storm water ponds established to restore health to Lake Simcoe don't have a damned thing to do with water and sewer rates and should not be a surcharge  on the water bill.

I  believe  there  is neither accuracy nor equity in water rates charged and there probably hasn't been since the town decided to install meters on the  advice of the Region.

My responsibility  as  an elected representative, is oversight of such matters and to speak out where I find  a circumstance which  I cannot support. I  answer only for myself. I am accountable only to the people who elected me.  

If you do not choose, as a taxpayer , to accept my rationale because after all, how can one person be right when all  others say something different, and you continue to seek clear and straighforward  figures to assure you , I suggest  your  option may be to seek a forensic audit of the town's and the region's calculations to justify rates charged to consumers for water.

I am telling you in my judgment, you are not  well-served by the charges made for water you use.

You can accept it...reject it....or do something about it.

Elizabeth, sports, recreation and leisure  facilities are built by the corporation at the expense of the taxpayers for  use by  residents. Since not all residents use the facilities, in the principle  of equity. specifically  users, not  taxpayers in general  pay a fee to use the facilities.

Depending on the facility, different factors contribute to  the user fee.

It has been argued by the volunteer sector, who organise sports for youth that facilities should be free.

The argument has never been endorsed.

It is no more acceptable for volunteer's who undertake to raise funds for charity than it is for volunteers who organise programs for youth.

Perhaps, Elizabeth since you believe a policy to rate charities. for support or not is possible, you can offer a formula  demonstrating how that might look.

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