Grumpy Taxpayer$ of Greater Victoria

BY GEORGE BARNHART, BOARD MEMBER Why are we paying more in municipal taxes, fees and levies? Are we getting value for our money? Labour costs account for 50 per cent…

Mayor unveils plan to reduce street disorder It’s forty years since the last upgrade of the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre, so is there still sufficient capacity for every miscreant?…

Ranging from 4.6 to 15.20%, all far exceed annual inflation As the deadline approaches to pay your property taxes, everyone is interested in what their friends in neighbouring municipalities pay.…

Less scrutiny, fewer electoral approvals will be required Municipal taxpayers are concerned that councils in Greater Victoria and across BC can now borrow twice as much money without electoral approval.…

Victoria councillors seeking options on supporting cinema in the city in wake of theatre’s closure Frankly, my dear Coun. Matt Dell, Dave Thomson, and Krista Loughton, I don’t give a…

BY Shawn Steele, Saanich resident Most people don’t know what an Alternative Approval Process (AAP) is, how it works, why it is used, and how to oppose it. The AAP…

A ‘roadmap’ to reforming regional government is finally underway It’s no wonder regional governments such as the CRD are a punching bag for taxpayers and critics. Regional district legislation was…

Taxpayers impacted by deteriorating provincial finances How the province conducts its finances matters greatly to municipal taxpayers who are finding the grim news very hard to swallow. The latest credit…

$159 Million spent on law enforcement Total municipal expenditures in the CRD were $878 Million in 2023, including $159 Million for law enforcement by 614 police officers, according to the…