Grumpy Taxpayer$ of Greater Victoria

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…

Additional democratic safeguards are needed A commentary by Stan Bartlett, vice-chair of Grumpy Taxpayer$ of Greater Victoria, a non-partisan citizens advocacy group for municipal taxpayers. The next time you have…

BY JOHN TRELEAVEN, Chair of Grumpy Taxpayer$ The Times Colonist editorial Amalgamating Services would be an easier step (Jan. 4) should accelerate a process which last had a moment 50…

Local governments review procurement practices Several local politicians are calling on their municipality to re-evaluate where they spend tax dollars as a result of the nasty Canada-US trade dispute. “Obviously…

Many initial budget requests double-digit and unaffordable (updated to March 1, 2025) The starting point deliberations for tax increases in 2025 are among the highest ever recorded on the South…

Who are you going to ask for another thoughtful opinion on the state of municipal government on the South Island? So we queried Perplexity, an Artificial Intelligence system, and they…