Letter to the editor – sewage treatment facilities

Dear Editor,

Mr. Bill Gooch wrote briefly last week on aspects of NG Council’s spending intentions in future. In particular, he comments on payment for expansion of the sewage treatment facilities, the financing of growth and the role of rural property owners in this complex system.

I would add my voice to reinforce his concerns and, at the same time, remind people (see my past articles ) that there are numerous additional processes occurring which, if not aggressively and intelligently addressed by Council, will make North Grenville a very expensive place to pay taxes. This will have ramifications for local economic growth. As fewer and fewer people decide to move to our ever more expensive area, thanks to rising home prices, much higher MPAC assessments and resultant rapidly increasing taxes, those taxpayers who remain will face disproportionate rises in the amount of their monthly budget which they lose to the municipal tax collector. The lower income stratum (bottom third) of taxpayers will simply be priced out. How’s that for AFFORDABLE HOUSING?

Of course, those principally affected will be those who pay taxes on their properties. Those who do not own property will face either an absence of rental properties or rental units, few in number, at very high rental rates. Almost all the issues contributing to these problems are being ignored by Council at this time.

Government at the local level had better take note. Council has already trashed much of its corporate memory and the possibility of receiving sage advice by its policy towards personnel in its administration. It better start getting its act together on the financial front for the good of the people of this community! In the meantime, it would help if more people in North Grenville awakened to the situation and raised their voices.

Jim Bertram
Former Councillor