Those who can must pay their share
Nobody likes taxes!
I have read and heard the concerns regarding some proposed CVRD tax increases and I share them. However, we are in a time of multiple crises that require urgent action and I think that those who are privileged to own expensive homes, businesses and real estate should be willing to step up to the plate. Climate change and environmental degradation being the largest problems facing our collective futures, requires us to maximize our efforts to protect habitat and green spaces. This means fully funding the Regional Parks Acquisition service and putting aside the more than a million dollars it would generate each year and then using that money to purchase strategic properties for both the protection of nature and for recreation.
I live on farmland that has a low tax rate, but I also pay property tax in four other areas in the CVRD, so I will not be “getting off easy”. Of course I want my tax dollars spent wisely, but I accept that if we desire a community that is safe and sustainable, we who can afford it and who benefit from it, need to be doing our share. For those many folks who are truly stretched and finding the tax burden unaffordable, the provincial government has a very generous tax deferment program, specifically designed to support those who are land rich and cash poor; payment being required only when the property ownership changes.
So please support those brave elected individuals who are tasked with making the hard choices as to whether we save a few tax dollars today, or bite the bullet and invest in a fair, compassionate and sustainable future for those who will ultimately enjoy the benefits, or pay a high price for the decisions we make today.
David Slade
Cobble Hill