Skip to content

Enough already with the tax hikes in North Cowichan

Bringing in more employees in this economy doesn’t make sense because guess who’s paying?
15459756_web1_North-Cowichan-sign

Here we go again.

The Municipality of North Cowichan seems intent on taxing its residents to death.

In recent years, the tax burden was eased for heavy industrial users, like the Catalyst Crofton pulp mill, and shifted more to homeowners. The increases were minimal so we accepted it.

Another 2.9 per cent increase was originally projected for 2019, but now, CAO Ted Swabey has decided to overhaul the municipality and how it conducts business so five new positions are supposedly required at exorbitant costs as part of modernizing operations and delivering customer service.

A so-called third party consultant has confirmed staff is working at capacity so there’s justification for paying out half a million dollars for five positions to ease the burden. One of them is even part-time at $89,000 a year.

Where are we living, West Vancouver?

It’s ludicrous to suggest North Cowichan can’t live without five additions to the payroll. Well-paid employees are going to have to suck it up and take on more duties, if required, just like what’s happening in most of the workforce around the Cowichan Valley.

If the budget doesn’t allow for it without going to residents to pick up the costs through increased taxes, then it shouldn’t happen.

We continually hear the argument that compared to so-and-so and Timbuktu our taxes are considered low. No one really cares about that and the statistics can be skewed to look any way you like.

Swabey has told council, “this is not to say you have to do it, this is your budget and these are your decisions.”

Seniors and low-income families can’t keep absorbing higher taxes, now projected to be in the 4-7 per cent range for this year after taking into account these new positions.

It is incumbent on this new council to recognize there aren’t a lot of rich people in this municipality with money hanging out of their pockets and just say, ‘no.’



Don Bodger

About the Author: Don Bodger

I've been a part of the newspaper industry since 1980 when I began on a part-time basis covering sports for the Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle.
Read more