YOUR TAXES ARE NO LONGER SERVING YOU!

EVER-INCREASING TAXES
EVER-INCREASING STAFF COSTS
NEVER-INCREASING SERVICE LEVELS

HOW MUCH MORE CAN THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER AFFORD?

When will the average taxpayer finally have to tap out?

Under Mayor Krog’s leadership, Nanaimo has seen year after year of steep tax increases — with little to no improvement in everyday services for the average resident.

So who is benefitting?

The biggest winners under the Krog councils have been CUPE, IAFF, non-union City Hall staff, and the RCMP. Add to that the developers and property investors whose land values are boosted — thanks to projects you’re funding with your tax dollars.

Take Metral Drive or Commercial Street. These showcase how millions are being poured into projects that primarily serve niche interests — not the broader community.

The reality? City Hall no longer serves the average taxpayer. It serves itself — the Corporation of the City of Nanaimo — and those with direct ties to its growth and spending. What was once a system where civil servants worked for the public has flipped entirely. Today, the public seems to work for the system.

Ask yourself this:
What have your rising taxes actually delivered for you in the past 10 years?

When you turn on the tap, water flows. When you flush the toilet, waste disappears. When you put out the garbage, it’s picked up. The roads might get plowed — eventually — if it snows. Fire and police are available, of course.

But these are basic services. They existed before the massive tax hikes.

So here’s the real question:
Do the steep increases in your taxes reflect an increase in the services you actually use?

Now consider this:
Between 2023 and 2025, City of Nanaimo staff received an 11.5% wage increase — funded entirely by you.
How does that compare to your household income over the same period?

Over the past 9 years, staffing costs at City Hall have exploded. And for what? The service levels haven’t meaningfully improved.

There was a time when civil servants earned a little less than the private sector. That was offset by job security and lower performance demands.

Today, they enjoy better pay, better benefits, and higher job security — all while the average household is being squeezed harder than ever.

Is this sustainable?
Or have we already passed the tipping point?