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Letter: Council’s pay raise

Well, well, I never thought I would be smiling at the thought of increased taxes. City of Powell River Council is justifying a pay raise due to the impact of higher personal income taxes [“City council considers pay raise,” February 1].

Well, well, I never thought I would be smiling at the thought of increased taxes.

City of Powell River Council is justifying a pay raise due to the impact of higher personal income taxes [“City council considers pay raise,” February 1].

Wouldn’t it be nice if those of us retired and on fixed income could give ourselves raises to cover the city’s contemplated five per cent property tax increase?

Additional to the pay raise debate, clarification is required as to why the request for pay increase was not made before the recent municipal election?

The change to the Income Tax Act, bill C-44, was passed in March 2017, albeit with an effective date of January 1, 2019. Provincial governments and municipalities were notified and several appeals where heard and denied. Reason for denial given: “provides an advantage that other Canadians do not enjoy.”

We can always hope that this event will drive home the need for elected officials to be fiscally responsible with focus on the city’s core services.

The heavy council work load referred to is, in part, due to the expanded scope of work which some councillors bring into council to better promote secondary issues, not normally considered city services.

An example of a secondary issue is also in the February 1 edition of the Peak: Councillor Leishman’s support in time and funding for Meatless Monday educational campaign, which is totally redundant to recent Federal campaign and news releases.

Council should stick to its knitting; put its effort into core city services while getting excess spending under control, thereby earning its pay raise.

Paul McMahon
Invermere Court