Letter: About taxes -- a Council member responds to the RTA delegation
An Open Letter to the Rossland Taxpayers Association
Last night, Council had the opportunity to hear from the newly formed Rossland Taxpayers Association. Due to time constraints and the formal nature of council meetings, I didn’t feel I was able to engage with the presentation as meaningfully as I would have liked. For that reason, I’ve chosen to respond in this public letter. In the spirit of transparency, I am sharing it openly. Please note that I speak only on behalf of myself and not for the rest of Council.
The presentation—now public—outlined a number of concerns and demands for council consideration. I sincerely appreciate the time, research, and effort that went into preparing and delivering it. I believe that any engagement between residents and government, when offered in good faith, strengthens our democracy.
The presentation, alongside recent events in our community, highlighted a clear reality: many Rossland taxpayers feel unheard by their local government. I’ll be the first to admit we have room for growth in both communication and engagement. We have a responsibility to invest strategically in our capacity to communicate effectively and to build trust between the City and its residents. This has been one of my priorities since the election in 2022, and it will continue to be.
In the spirit of better communication, I would like to address several points raised publicly by the Rossland Taxpayers Association.
First, the Association’s claim that the City of Rossland has approved a 10% property tax increase annually from 2025 to 2029—resulting in a 61% compounded increase—is factually incorrect. Council has approved a 10% increase in property tax revenue for 2025 only. While the same increase has been projected for 2026-2029, this will be evaluated year by year. Importantly, the 10% revenue increase includes new development—so the actual increase to existing Rossland taxpayers in 2025 was under 6% for Rossland’s portion of the tax bill and under 4% for the total tax bill. We expect a similar pattern in future years. I acknowledge that this was poorly communicated by the City during budget season, and that this has caused confusion and concern. But it has since been clarified by the City and it’s important that we correct misinformation when we see it.
The Association also called for a hiring freeze. I want to clarify that there are no new staff positions included in the 2025–2029 financial plan. In addition, the Association made several comments that insinuated mismanagement of public funds and referred to what they described as a “culture of spending” at the City. If there is one thing I hope you take away from this letter, it’s that we have an incredible team at the City of Rossland. They work hard every day to deliver the high-quality services that make Rossland such a great place to live. In fact, I would confidently say they are among the best in the province at what they do. The comments made were unwarranted, and I feel very strongly about the importance of showing appreciation and respect for the people who serve this community with dedication and care.
Additionally, the request for a moratorium on all staff and Council travel—and the suggestion that such travel is for personal benefit or “networking”—was disappointing. Councillors typically attend one or two conferences or meetings outside of Rossland each year. These are not vacation perks. We are not paid to attend, and many of us lose income from our regular jobs or businesses to do so. We sacrifice family time—in my case, even bringing a newborn along—because we believe in the value of this work. These trips allow us to advocate for Rossland on the provincial and federal stage, build critical relationships, and access funding and resources that benefit our residents at a nominal cost.
The Association has also requested that the City begin publishing monthly budget updates and expense reports. I’d like to clarify that the City already publishes quarterly budget updates and a monthly cheque register, both of which are available in the agenda packages published on our website. That said, I recognize that ease of access matters — I will look into how we can make these documents more accessible and visible to residents going forward.
Finally, the Rossland Taxpayers Association has requested that the City formalize a relationship with them to elevate taxpayer voices in municipal decision-making. While I welcome ongoing engagement from the Association—through emails, public meetings, surveys, and town halls—I do not support formalizing a special relationship between the City and any one group of residents. Paying property taxes does not entitle anyone to a louder or more privileged voice in a democratic process. All residents—homeowners, renters, seniors and people with disabilities in assisted living, youth, unhoused people—deserve an equal voice in our community. I will not support or pursue a special arrangement with the Association. However, I do encourage everyone to stay engaged, and I remain committed to creating more frequent and more effective opportunities for public input.
If I have missed any key points from the Association’s presentation, I apologize. I hope the Association continues to engage regularly and respectfully. I remain committed to improving and expanding opportunities for public input—so all residents feel heard, not just those who are most organized or most vocal.
Sincerely,
Maya Provençal
Councillor, City of Rossland
