Let's work together to make our future secure.
How can Council help?
Engage Citizens, Tribes and other local governments. Listen. Learn. See people as more than taxpayers -- as citizens.
What can citizens do? Engage. Listen. Learn. Help define wants, and current and future needs -- a long term vision.
How does it look? Support: for - strategic infrastructure investments, new and existing businesses, smart growth, affordable housing, local food, protecting the ALR and watersheds -- the Climate and Energy Plan, set to save residents thousands of dollars and produce 600 local jobs by 2050.
What about taxes? 8th lowest of 23 communities on the Island and lowest of 5 Catalyst communities, our taxes seem reasonable -- just consider our size -- three urban cores (Chemainus, Crofton, South End) small villages and rural areas. That's a lot to manage.
Still taxes burden many.
Efficiencies are important -- ideally we find new revenue and future increases stay predictable, closer to the rate of inflation.
Outside of the tax shift away from heavy industry -- which brought no new money -- the last three years increases have been trending downward.
Accountability? Yes. Yet no Council knows going in what it might face, so promises are hard to make outside of a general philosophy of good stewardship.
Every decision our community makes must consider long term costs and benefits and what we are leaving for our grandchildren, and the environment upon which it all depends and set tax levels accordingly.
Its the right think to do.