Less Than Enchanting

As promised, we will talk about Tim's less than enchanting idea for the town to give the hydro money back to taxpayers .
When was the last time you received a cheque from the Town of Aurora.?
After a three year battle, and  final acknowledgement that rates had been calculated to include water loss probably due to unmetered water used by public works and  the parks department, did you get a rebate for previous years of overcharging? 
No you did not.
What you got was an increase in water rates smaller than that forecast.
Not even  a tip of the hat. Or anything else approaching an apology.
But you were paying attention .. You let Council know you  expected a  resolution. To their credit, they listened.
But you never received a rebate..
Now...let us contemplate how such a rebate might be calculated.
First there's the assessment roll.
Landlords, resident and absentee are the property owners. 
Retail business. Institutional business. Industries manufacturing and  servicing.
Some with head offices out of town . Others owner operated but still non-resident.
Smart Centres and State Farm Insurance. 
Residential comes in different classes.
Apartments and Condos.
Estate lots pay as much or more  in property tax than some people have income.
The Royal Canadian Legion are on the assessment roll but they don't pay taxes. We pay their taxes.. 
There's a bubble housing an indoor commercial soccer operation.
They don't pay taxes. We pay their taxes..  
To divvy up  thirty-three million dollar hydro asset fund to return to  taxpayers would  require a calculation based  assessed value of the property.
The owner would receive the rebate.
The owner  pays the  taxes. 
How would the  infinitesimal rebate be distributed? 
It wouldn't. It would  show up as a credit on the tax bill which would  undoubtedly be offset by the annual increase in the tax rate and  recommended paid by deferred  installments.
Would anyone expect the annual tax increase to be less because of a tax rebate? 
Well Bless your Heart!! It's all too easy to fuddle-duddle with the  figures .
Keeping it tied up in investments is good... on a short term basis.
But the further we get from the original intent, the easier it is to siphon it off. 
Selling  hydro was a hard decision to make.
Power Stream is making huge revenues for  its owners who are the Towns of Markham and Vaughan.
Provincial requirements put that option out of reach for small utilities.like Aurora. 
But if we had a facility that the greatest number of people could enjoy every day of our lives, which we would unable to contemplate as a tax burden, the decision to sell Hydro would become  the right one.
Divying up the fund between all those legally entitled to receive a proportionate share would accomplish nothing.
The idea is not  thoroughly thought through.
It has no merit.
It's simplistic.
Ridiculous.
Crazy.
Just plain nuts.
No credit to its author,
In my opinion.
As good as the best and better than the rest.