Santa, we still believe in you

A municipal taxpayer’s belated letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

After delivering gifts around a troubled world I expect you have your feet up and are still recovering in front of a roaring fire. You are also likely sipping a few hot drinks while nursing your blisters, calluses and reindeer bites.

Sorry, our letter is a little late as our world is still upside down. We are just getting by day-by-day, but now the kid needs shoes (again), the car transmission is sounding awful (again) and the cost of food makes me sick (again). We are snowed under with bills and need a break.

Santa, for goodness sake, talk some sense into the mayors of 13 neighbourhood municipalities in the capital region. We feel municipal property tax increases could and should be held to zero  per cent.

There are lots of new faces around a very large CRD table after 14 of the 24 directors were newly elected. Many, not all, are keen on managing our affairs collectively and recognize the plight of many residents.

Has the cost of food for reindeer skyrocketed?

I hope you are able to find bulk deals for your hungry ungulates. People food climbed about 10 per cent last year, numbers not seen in decades due to record inflation.

The latest Canada Food Price Report estimates food prices will increase another five to seven per cent on average in 2023. It will add $1,000 to the average family’s annual expenses, most of which is expected in the next six months.

Do your reindeer go to pasture?

There are hundreds of people living outside on the streets here and it’s not getting any better quickly. A few weeks ago police estimated that several hundred homeless relocated from the Lower Mainland.

Advertised one-bedroom apartments rent rocketed to $2,150 just over 22 per cent in a year, according to the Canadian Rent Report for December from Zumper. My family doesn’t even talk about ever buying a condo or house – it’s a pipe dream.

We are recovering like everyone else after the Bank of Canada bludgeoned us a few weeks ago with the seventh rate increase this year. The municipality Saanich is now projecting an 8 per cent property tax increase – seriously!

What sort of wages do your elves make in the workshop?

Somehow I can’t imagine reindeer getting more than room and board, or elves for that matter. You may have heard that Victoria’s basic living wage has reached an all time high of $24.29 per hour. If you can believe it, that’s slightly more than Vancouver and one of the most expensive jurisdictions in Canada.

Do you have 13 barns and 13 separate gift delivery systems?

Sorry, it’s a dumb question as I can’t imagine you would dream of running such a balkanized, slipshod operation.

You may have heard that in this corner of the world we have 93 politicians, several thousand civic employees overseeing 13 municipalities, one regional government, five police and 19 fire departments. In May Salt Spring there will be voting for five local politicians for the new Local Community Commission. What we really need though is a partridge and a pear tree.

As you know there’s no transportation authority in the region, so you were fortunate to be able to get around by using your hypersonic sleigh.

Our South Island population is estimated at 430,000 (likely not counting the lost souls wandering the streets) well on the way to 500,000. We appreciate the demands on renewing infrastructure for the next generation are substantial.

Santa, why can’t the council hold the line on property taxes?

Since the feds and the province are regularly doling out taxpayers money daily, from where we sit, holding the line or even a five per cent reduction in municipal property taxes isn’t a big ask. Remind them that while sovereign, municipalities can still co-operate and work together for the betterment of the entire region.

With galloping inflation I don’t want to even think about increases in energy, the Internet, water, sewage, car and house insurance. Prices are moderating somewhat, as is inflation, but not quickly enough for our household. Our wallet is squeezed.

Why can’t councils sharpen their pencils and trim costs like everyone else and give us a hand up to get through this rough patch?

We are adults, for goodness sake. Not every day do we plead to a portly white-bearded gentleman dressed in a red suit with a black belt and white fur trim, black boots, and a soft red cap.

It makes us wonder if too much municipal tax is being collected in the first place. It makes us wonder why two highly credible governance reports to give us better value for our tax dollar are collecting dust on a shelf.

In the coming year will new councils be naughty or nice? Will they govern for everyone or for special interest groups or their own ideological constituency? Why are 13 neighbouring jurisdictions so reluctant to consolidate operations such as fire or police services to trim costs?

Santa, we still believe in you.

EDITOR’S NOTE – This letter was first published in Jan. 2023.