Dear Editor
You’ve got to be kidding me, it cost the taxpayers $142 million to run the city?
Many making more than $200,000, more than 200 people making more that $100,000, and almost 650 making more than $75,000. No wonder our taxes keep going up (again and again).
This is not a responsible government but one that is taking care of its own at our expense. A couple big problems, as I see it: One, the mayor and council are responsible for dealing with employees and their salaries. Thus, isn’t there a major conflict of interest when the unions involved in the negotiations are also major contributors to the mayor and council campaigns?
Secondly, while people are complaining about how expensive it is to buy a home in the Lower Mainland, our mayor and council add approximately $75,000 in cost to each and every condo unit being built in our city with its misleading “community service fee.”
Lastly, all of the aforementioned condos have added millions to the city’s tax base thus greasing the skids for our government to spend more and more each year.
And rather than lowering taxes, they keep spending more and more (in addition to taking care of “their own”) and continue to raise taxes.
We do not have good city government. In fact, despite what some may claim, we are being taking advantage of with the mayor and council simply being out of control.
Bill Phelps, Burnaby
