LET'S TALK DONUTS .. ECONOMICS THAT IS!

Sustainability Without the Taxpayer??
Saving the Planet, One Tax Hike at a Time!

BY VOICE OF NANAIMO 

In 2021, Nanaimo’s city council adopted something called the Doughnut Economics model. This framework was supposed to help guide future planning in a way that balances environmental limits with social justice.

 At the time, it was hailed as visionary — even revolutionary — for a Canadian city. But in the years since, many residents have watched something else rise just as quickly: their taxes. 

Between 2018 and 2024, city taxes and fees have increased more than 40 percent. Water, sewer, garbage, property taxes — all up. And for what?

 Council continues to pour time and money into global-style “sustainability” plans — climate targets, equity frameworks, social strategies — while many locals wonder if their government has forgotten what it’s actually supposed to be doing. 

What Is the City Supposed to Do? 

Local government, at its core, is not complicated.  It exists to provide the basics: water, sewer, roads, fire protection, and public safety — at a fair and manageable cost. Yet in today’s council chambers, those basics often seem secondary to a bigger agenda. Global goals, virtue-signaling policies, consultant-driven plans — they now dominate the budget and staff priorities. That’s not sustainable — at least not for the taxpayer. 

Redefining "Sustainability" 

The word “sustainability” gets thrown around a lot. But here’s the problem: it almost never includes the one thing that matters most to average residents whether they can afford to keep paying for it.

Can seniors on fixed incomes sustain double-digit property tax increases?  Can working families absorb higher utility and garbage fees every year? Can small businesses survive rising costs, fees, and regulation? If not, what exactly is being sustained? 

Taxpayer Sustainability Is Real Sustainability 

Doughnut Economics might look great in a TED Talk or on a whiteboard at a UN meeting. But in a city like Nanaimo, sustainability has to start with affordability. If council ignores this — if they continue chasing ideals beyond their jurisdiction while neglecting the services residents actually need — the system collapses. Trust erodes. Budgets bloat. (You might argue that is happening right now).

And sooner or later, the people footing the bill simply stop buying in. Because in the end, if you bankrupt the taxpayer in the name of saving the planet... 

You won’t save the planet — you’ll just lose your city.