ELECTION 2018: Infrastructure deficit of Victoria unknown
While residents now have a new bridge ($105 million plus), and are planning for a new Crystal Pool ($69.4 million), plus fire hall and emergency centre ($35.9 million), tax revenue…
Service-sharing report pulls punches: Province urged to step into the ring with Dysfunction-by-the-Sea
Taxpayers feeling pick-pocketed by their municipalities aren’t likely to get quick relief or better services, now that the province released its study on integrating services and governance. The long-awaited Capital…
Is your council and municipality burning through property taxes?
10 Good Reasons to join Grumpy Taxpayer$ 1. Our approach works. We lead the opposition against the 2022 Commonwealth Games bid, what would have been an expensive $1.5 billion boondoggle.…
Government fees, levies and regulatory costs driving up Greater Victoria housing prices
Contributing to an affordable housing crisis Housing prices in Greater Victoria have more than doubled in the last decade, with the federal, provincial and municipal governments fueling much of this…
Urgent Memo to Provincial Election Candidates: Half a century on, CRD steeped in myths
Back in 1966, when colour television was first introduced to Canada, Montreal-born actor William Shatner debuted in the science fiction series Star Trek. There were fewer than 60,000 residents in…
Federal PILTs anchor municipal finances: Esquimalt, Metchosin, Colwood biggest beneficiaries
In 2015, federal payments in lieu of taxes in the Capital region totaled $29-million or 4.33 per cent of the total municipal revenues including surplus, according to Public Works Canada…
Tough 2017 municipal budget questions to ask your councillor
Better value for taxes urged by unflappable humanoids – This time of year you must have empathy for taxpayers, those unflappable humanoids who are normally florid-faced, calm, stoic, wiry, and…
Zilch. Nada. Nothing. Zero.
Unresolved issues of wasteful spending, excessive wages, and duplication of services in Victoria regional municipalities – Zero. That’s the amount of tax increases local politicians should be aiming for this…
BRIEF: Top 10 ways to improve capital region governance
Grumpy Taxpayer$ releases brief with recommendations to the province calling for a major overhaul of the CRD VICTORIA – Grumpy Taxpayer$ of Greater Victoria releases today its brief ‘Top 10…