Publié le 18/12/2007

MRC spending still out of control

Taxpayers in Low must now fork up 126 000 $ for the MRC-VG next year, an increase of 26 %. About half of this increase is due to property re-evaluations. MRC-VG budget increases include for even more benefits for their unionized employees, and for more floor office space and additional salary expenses for new staff to accommodate the downloading of government program costs. Because MRC-VG mayors have not successfully contested, if they’re even tried, unfair school taxation, the re-evaluation of Low properties now guarantees school tax increases of 9 % to 10 % for each of the next three years.

Incredibly, the annual operating cost of the Septic Waste Site, SWS, at Kazabazua has again skyrocketed, by almost 40 %, to 315 000 $, double that of when it commenced only three years ago. Sadly, in my opinion, up to 80 % of the septic tanks emptied/delivered to the site this year did not require to be. Intelligent citizens in some of the MRC-VG communities are now refusing to comply, even if they continue to be forced to pay for such. Think what sense it would make if this unnecessary 80 % could be replaced by that of necessary-to-be-emptied tanks of nearby villages in the Pontiac, now crying for a solution, which would, by sharing the costs, greatly reduce the burden on our MRC-VG taxpayers. Pretending to solve an imaginary septic pollution problem, thousands of truckloads of only “dirty water” were hauled this year to the SWS, instead, creating unnecessary high gasoline expense and air pollution.

Throughout the year, the mayors of the MRC-VG make many unanimous spending decisions. They do not add up the damage to taxpayers until next year’s budget time, at which time it is mostly too late to reverse their decisions. They do not have the skill, or will, to forecast the costs of expense decisions or to verify taxpayer affordability. Two years ago they sent in their Waste Management Plan to the Quebec government assuring them that they could meet the requirements ... when they knew that it would be impossible to do so. Now, having been asleep at the wheel for almost ten years, they are pleading for mercy from the government for infra-structure money and for a delay to shut down their landfills.

MRC-VG expenses and additional downloaded costs are crucifying our communities and greatly impairing our ability to meet our own priorities. Witness the historically high level of unpaid taxes for Low as of the end on November. Of about 1 500 tax accounts, about 700 are in arrears. Over 130 owe more than 500 $. Citizens are so strapped for money that they have no choice but to pay interest of 15 %.

Political representatives everywhere are not taking/reporting any serious contest this alarming situation. He MRC-VG has several sub-committees established to figure out how to spend our money, but, unlike for private industry approaches, they have no committee, or interest, to focus on saving our money and to contest cost downloading.

I believe that the vast majority of taxpayers feel that this situation is totally unacceptable and that their representatives are also unacceptably dealing with it. In my strong opinion, this matter will never be resolved until taxpayers revolt. Each of you should make yourselves aware of he latest financial situation of your community and should attend the current budget proposal meetings seeking your input. Don’t leave it up to your neighbor, as he/she may leaving it up to you. Apathy will guarantee more of the same, and if you don’t get involved, at least for a few hours, you don’t deserve to complain when you get your next tax invoice.

Steve Connoly