Editor, The News:
Re: Council to discuss expenses (The News, Feb. 19)
I think before the mayor and council discuss their own expenses, they should look at the property taxes which they’ve increased on average, almost four per cent a year, for the last five years.
I just received a flyer promoting the sale of luxury condos and advertising that the property taxes have been slashed for 2014, ‘15 and ‘16, thanks to the mayor and council.
The condo improvements are exempt from taxes, dramatically cutting the tax bill for those three years.
What about Maple Ridge homeowners getting their property taxes slashed, or even kept at zero?
I think Mayor Ernie Daykin and council better not forget who is casting the votes in the next civic election.
My property taxes have increased $34 in 2010, $165 in 2011, $16 in 2012 and $180 in 2013.
Who knows what the increase will be in 2014? I’m betting at least 3.9 per cent.
What does the mayor think, that we can’t remember or do math?
We are seniors and received a .09-per-cent increase or $12.48 a year, each in our Old Age Security for 2014.
How are seniors going to be able to keep their homes?
Our home hasn’t hasn’t had any improvements done on it for at least 10 years, other than normal maintenance.
This week, I noticed an article in the paper stating the owner of a home worth $500,000 paid $1,886 in property taxes in 2013.
Where are these homes?
Our home in Maple Ridge is valued between $425,000 and $450,000 and our taxes were $2,473.
We also have the senior discount already deducted.
I hope the voters remember this before they cast their votes in the next civic election.
Just give your heads a shake, mayor and council.
Barry Elson
Maple Ridge
(Editor’s note, the Town Centre Investment Incentive program gave temporary tax breaks to spur new building in the downtown.)