A Daily Chore

I was hanging out my wash in the early morning. The sun was warm , the breeze was blowing about my ears and I could feel my hair . I thought about how long I'd been doing this chore and enjoyed it as much today as I always have.

Standing there , pegging out the garments one at a time thinking about things as I always have ,means nothing  whatsoever has changed about the moment.

I have another  routine of doing a quiick mental calculation about the price of something bought in bulk, as opposed to  single packaging. It isn't always cheaper.

That took me to thinking about  two hours of a Council meeting  spent in social chit-chat,no town business being accomplished  and the cost of the exercise.

Nine department heads are in attendance at meetings.  Add the Mayor and combined salary of three  other staff and we have a multiplication factor of twelve.

An average  salary of $156,000 a year makes the calulation simple.

Weekly salary is $3,000. Daily  is $600. An eight hour day  costs in excess of $80. per hour per person.

Two hours therefore is  $160 . Multiplied  by twelve amounts  to $2000.

That's the  salary cost of those two hours.

The figure is relevant . Time  staff spend at Council meetings entitle them to time off in lieu or  additonal salary.

Regulations changed a few years ago requiring municipalities , to pay staff for  additional hours rather than provide time off in lieu beyond a maimum number of extra hours worked.

The last  Council meeting  started at six and lasted until  midnight. We didn't complete the business. Not all staff were present all the time.

But all were present for the  social  chit-chat was happening , when no town business was being accomplished.

In the first year of the term budget discussions, Councillor Able told Council he had not met anyone complaining about high taxes.

For the Councillor that apparently meant we could increase taxes without concern.


It's an example of where we differ in  our view.

The average tax bill, without including water,sewer and storm water pond charges,  was $3,600. It
represents $300  a month

If a person living on old age security, unemployment insurance or government long term disabilty has  an income of $1,400 a month, a Councillor should not need to be told  property taxes are a totally disproportionate  amount of that income and represent a considerable hardship.

A home is often the only asset to show for a lifetime of work,  supporting a family, paying taxes
and contributing in many ways to the community.

Watching it swish down the toilet at a regular Council meeting by  mis-use  of the corporate business meeting to promote interests of  various  organisations that  have nothing to do with town business or expensive administrative staff  doesn't make it easier to accept  unnecessary tax increases.

Councillor Abel and myself are a canyon width apart on the  issue of burdening the community with regular tax increases.