Major residential tax increases for Caledon residents

The last municipal election in the Town of Caledon happened more than one year ago, in November 2006, and now they are proposing to hit us with a substantial residential property tax increase.

Here are some of the real reasons for this major tax increase that they are not telling you about. The Town wasted about $ 47,500 on renovating the mayor's office and the CAO's office in a building which is only about six years old.

About 44.1 per cent of the proposed tax increase is for salary increases for staff, at a time when they say that they don't have enough money to pay for more infrastructure and services, and when the local fire department is begging for new equipment and upgrades. As well, the Town spent about $411,000 of the taxpayers' money in 2007 on outside consultants' reports when they already have a planning department with a director and about 10 senior planners making a combined annual salary of $1 million. Most of these reports were to simply confirm what they already knew, and in any case, most of them were simply shelved anyway, after completion. Why did the planning department not do their own research internally and make their own longterm planning reports to save us money? Why do they still not even have a long-term vision and a long-term strategic plan?

I have recently heard from our Regional Councillor for Ward 5, Annette Groves, that the economic development department at the Town has brought in next to no new business development in Bolton and yet they have a staff of four, making an approximate annual salary of $250,000. It seems that Groves, working with a couple of local doctors in Bolton managed to bring in three new doctors, two new dentists, and a theatre and adjacent commercial complex in Bolton. The Town's economic development department has done next to nothing to bring in any new business development in Bolton and only minimal efforts elsewhere in Caledon. Why does this department even exist, if not to encourage new business development and bring more investment, taxes, and employment jobs to Caledon?

The Town is spending on average $150,000 annually on OMB hearings, and associated legal costs, when perhaps half of them are not even necessary, since the Town is not negotiating in good faith with the residential and commercial developers in the first place, which leaves the developers no choice but to go to the OMB. Actually, the Town spent a whopping $1,327,853 of the taxpayers money on OMB hearings from 1997 to 2003 inclusive. As well, why is the Town contracting out legal services when we already have a Town lawyer and legal department?

Solmar Development recently built a whole series of brand new industrial and commercial buildings in the prestige business park in south Bolton, but it turns out that almost 95 per cent of them are sitting empty because the Town has not provided them with any real and meaningful assistance and encouragement in bringing in new business to Bolton or Caledon. Where is the sense in this?

Why is the Town continuing to block or freeze new business growth and also residential growth in Caledon at a time when they know that they have to expand both the commercial and residential tax base to provide new and upgraded infrastructure and services, which they cannot now afford to all of the residents of the town? The Town says they are trying to encourage business and economic growth, but it appears that they are doing next to nothing to actively promote it, and encourage it, and make it happen.

The Caledon Centre for Recreation and Wellness is operating at only about 50 per cent capacity due to the lack of further financial assistance from the Town of Caledon for additional promotions and advertising. Apparently, the Town provided some $7 million to $9 million of the taxpayers' money for construction of this new facility only about five years ago.

It seems to me that what we are looking at here in Caledon is tax dollars wasted and inefficient staff and bureaucracy, very poor overall fiscal management, complete lack of proper longterm planning, lack of a long-term vision, a completely dysfunctional council, lack of proper communication with residents on very important issues and nonproductive, inefficient and overpaid staff.

Where is the vision, longterm strategic plan and leadership skills at our Town council?

I think it is really sad that only about one-third of the eligible voters cared enough about their own community to actually go out and cast a vote in the last election. My own father fought for six years in the Second World War so that all Canadians could live in a free and democratic country where everyone has the right, privilege and opportunity of being able to vote freely.

We will all pay dearly for our lack of attention to what has really been going on over at the Town municipal offices for the last five years.

It's time to wake up Caledon, and time for more transparency and accountability in our municipal government.
Brian Stobo,
Bolton