CITY HALL’S NUMBERS MAY BALANCE — CAN YOUR HOUSEHOLD?

CITY HALL CAN JUGGLE THE BOOKS —
TAXPAYERS STILL HAVE ONE WALLET

The Millstone sewer project highlights two things Nanaimo badly needs: a genuine Core Services Review and a taxpayer affordability study.

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A Core Services Review would examine whether the City is properly estimating, prioritizing and delivering essential infrastructure before expanding staffing, programs and permanent operating costs.

A taxpayer affordability study would ask the question internal financial reports do not: How much more can the people paying the bills actually absorb?

City Hall can move money between reserves, defer projects, borrow internally and raise user fees. Those measures may help balance the City’s books, but they do not make the resulting costs affordable.

Property taxes, water rates, sewer charges, garbage fees, hospital levies and regional district taxes may appear under different headings, but every increase eventually lands in the same place—the taxpayer’s wallet.

Different accounts.
Different explanations.
One taxpayer.
One wallet.