To the editor,
Re: Council should give taxpayers a break, Letters, Jan. 9.
Mayor and city council – do we need them? Launching pet projects, bickering and raising taxes is all I see them doing.
An example of a pet project is spending big money on an economic development manager. Just a waste of taxpayer money. What business wants is modest taxes and less red tape, not another bureaucrat.
The operation of the city functions well without the mayor and council. The only thing missing is budget priorities. Instead of voting for who should be on council we could vote on budget priorities. Ranking the category (law enforcement, social housing, etc.) according to priority. Special projects could also be on the ballot. The benefit would be a more democratic setting of priorities, millions of dollars saved by eliminating politicians and no interference in operations by them. The saved money can be used for something useful or even lower taxes.
Drawbacks? If there’s any I’m sure the benefits outweigh them.
H. Olsson, Nanaimo
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Ratepayers can’t afford tax increases every year
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