By Staff
December 10th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The Mayors Chamber of Commerce luncheon took place on Monday at the Burlington Convention Centre.
The crowd was decent enough.
The Mayor made her comments, insisting again that the tax increase was going to be 5.76, which is true, but also very misleading and really poor communications policy on the part of the City.
That 5.76 represented all the taxes: Boards of Education, the Regional levy (which has yet to be determined), the Police Services expense – which is included with the Regional levy.
The Mayor and her council members are responsible for what Burlington spends and what it needs in the way of a tax levy. The residents of the city deserve to know what the city is doing to them financially.
At this point, the tax increase over last year is expected to be 7.83%. The city uses the words “deemed to have been approved” in statements they issue these days.
The Regional Council will determine what their tax levy is going to be on Wednesday – at that point, the city will be able to set its tax levy.
The City CAO Hassaan Basit used the same 4.97% number.
This was not the picture we used in the first version of this story. Shortly after it was published Councillor Kearns advised me that my zipper had come undone. I asked her for suggestions on what could be done. We ended up agreeing that photo-shopping the picture and putting in a fig leaf would do the trick.
At Chamber of Commerce events a table is usually set aside for media. In the past CHCH has had cameras, Cogeco had a crew and a number of print media sent a representative.
This year there were just two media people: Hunter Lawson from Burlington Today and Pepper Parr from the Burlington Gazette.
There was no table, there was no lunch. We did get a glass of water.
Mayor doubling down again? “Oh, you didn’t like me saying the inaccurately low 4.97 number? It’s wrong but I’m going to keep saying it”.
Is that what’s going on? So tiresome.
Shocked is my first response!! That Mayor Meed Ward would accept Alinea as a full fledged financial Sponsor for her “Mayor’s Luncheon” from “Alinea” who owns a massive parcel of land at 1200 King Road in Burlington, and wants to develop and transform 1200 King Road in Burlington into a self sustained Mega Project!!
Is this not a conflict??
Editor’s note. Just where is the Alinea conflict?
Bank of Nova Scotia was a sponsor as well; they are one of the city’s bankers – do they have a conflict?
Do you know what a conflict is?
In today’s world something is true until it is proven not to be true by facts. But it can take awhile. Then the the former truth vanishes as if it never existed only to be replaced by the newest truth until it is disproven. And so on and so on……
Not a good look for those who truly do govern us. Rather than represent us. There is a difference.
I just finished listening to today’s council meeting (December 10th) and the mayor stated that the overall tax increase is expected to be 5.76% she did qualify that this won’t be final until the region finalizes the “budget” on December 11th. The 4.97% number went away on October 30th when the police released their proposed budget for 2025. It’s odd how things change in a day.
Burlington’s increase of 7.51% is lowered when mixed with the region, police and Board of Ed to an overall increase of 5.76%.
The article’s statement
“insisting again that the tax increase was going to be 4.97%, which is true”
really should read
“which was true but is not any longer”