CITY TAXES WILL EAT YOU ALIVE

TAX NOTICES IN THE MAIL THIS WEEK

Nanaimo taxpayers will soon see just how much more City Hall plans to take from their family budget this year. City Council has approved a budget with a hefty increase, dismissed by officials as “only” another $20 a month. Easy for them to say, especially while awarding themselves an 11.5% raise on top of already generous salaries.

What the press rarely highlights is that the advertised 8% increase from City Hall is only part of the story. The RDN, NRGH, School District, and Library also get a slice of your wallet—plus rising “user fees,” which are just taxes dressed up in different clothes.

Council loves to talk about the “doughnut model” of sustainability. But they never seem to ask what’s sustainable for the taxpayer. Under this Mayor, annual tax increases—once all layers are added—have routinely hit double digits.

This trajectory is not sustainable. But that’s a reality the $100,000-a-year club at City Hall seems unwilling or unable to grasp!