CambridgeToday received the following letter taking issue with the way numbers are used to determine the Cambridge tax increase.
The Ontario Property Taxpayers Alliance (www.propertytaxpayer) is writing about a City of Cambridge website page called Test Your City Budget Knowledge. It is misleading and should be taken down.
It says the approved 2025 operating budget tax levy was 1.28 per cent and that this is below the current two per cent rate of inflation. They're only telling half the story. The city moved a 3.42 per cent storm water levy increase out of the operating budget (it had been part of the operating budget for years) and into the water utility budget. Therefore, the total cost increase to Cambridge residential taxpayers is 4.7 per cent, which is 2.35 times the two per cent inflation rate, not less than two per cent inflation.
Once again the city has raised its costs to residential property taxpayers for services rendered by multiples of inflation - exceeding our average annual income growth by 2.35 times (using inflation as a proxy).
The city needs to stop the wordsmithing and start providing clear disclosure to its residents.
And consider that when combined with the region's 9.48 per cent tax increases, Cambridge residential taxpayers will see their cost for services rise by over eight per cent in 2025, when the storm water component is included. That's over four times the two per cent inflation rate.
This is happening year after year and is not sustainable. It is contributing to homelessness and the rapidly growing residential property tax affordability crisis in the region.
John B. Waylett
Property Taxpayers Alliance
Cambridge
