Editorial: Thoughts on taxes, crime and community
By Sara Golling
What kind of community contributes to well-being and keeps us safer from crime?
Rossland has relatively high property taxes because this community has no major commercial tax base – no dams, no smelters, no factories, no pulp and paper plants.
Our taxes have been rising sharply in recent years because the buried water pipes, storm drains, and sewer lines that were installed so long ago have begun to disintegrate – because of efforts on the part of City Councils over the previous century or so to keep taxes low ; those efforts seem to have involved failing to do enough to repair, replace and maintain the above-mentioned pipes, drains and sewer lines.
Rossland is not alone in that – communities across the country are facing the same crunch: failing infrastructure urgently needing replacement, while costs of the required materials are rising, as well as being more volatile and unpredictable because of the antics of a certain tyrant to our south, among other factors.
Another factor is the downloading of costs from the province to municipalities – while the province is also taking away some authority from local councils over decisions that affect development in their communities.
The increase in municipal spending has been noticed by such entities as the Business Council of BC, which likened it to a “runaway train.”
Given these facts, municipal councils – including Rossland’s – are grappling with some hard choices – choices not so much between raising taxes and losing services and amenities, as perhaps choosing which amenities and services to reduce while also raising taxes.
And this is the time of year when the City – that is, City Staff and Council members – are grappling with those decisions. They have been working to communicate with residents and to obtain input from residents on their priorities.
They are carefully considering the value to the community of, for instance, the many community organizations that receive different forms of support from the City – grants and in-kind assistance. Why should taxpayers fund these volunteer-run organizations?
There are reasons; this article in The Atlantic strongly suggests that community organizations not only enrich community life but also help prevent crime, which has its own costs. That makes sense; people who are occupied and have the opportunities and help provided by community organizations are less likely to be desperate. People in a community that values them are more likely to value their community in turn.
Rossland spends a lot on recreation, which may be considered a frill (or at least “non-essential”) by some, but is akin to education in being a service that benefits the community as a whole in several ways. The same may be said of most, or perhaps all, of Rossland’s community groups.
Dear readers, here’s an exercise for you. Consider each of Rossland’s community groups (or as many as you can bring to mind). Find out what amount of assistance each one receives from the City. For that amount of money, do you think taxpayers should cut it loose and bring it to an end? How much would doing so reduce our taxes? Would the loss of that organization and what it does be worth the money saved, or is the money well spent in strengthening our community?
Food for thought: it’s a dense read, and “A Fair Country” (323 pages) by John Ralston Saul contains many home truths about Canadian history and what’s important in governance. Hint: acceptance, inclusion, and diversity make for stronger, healthier businesses and communities. There’s another hint in the author’s suggestion that Canada’s governance mantra — Peace, Order and Good Governance – ought to be replaced with Peace, Fairness and Good Governance. He also delves into the true meaning of the term welfare, which is highly relevant to our thinking about taxes and government spending.
Contemplate what is important to you about your life and our community. Contemplate what is essential spending for the City – and for you. Then share your thoughts with others, and with City Council. Thank you.
