Dear editor:
Over the last 56 years, NOTL has operated in the same way. Based on what we are hearing, looks like we are facing another four years of the same old, same old.
Candidates keep blaming upper levels of government (the region and province) for the high-cost burden on our residents. The property taxes in NOTL and in other municipalities in Niagara, have risen over 30 per cent over the last four years. That’s three times higher than inflation and higher than grocery costs.
This massive increase was just to keep the lights on and has not addressed emerging issues like mitigating flooding, replacing aging infrastructure, addressing homelessness, poverty and food insecurities amongst our Niagara population.
Perhaps our candidates are living in a bubble and are so narrowly focused on very micro concerns. It appears they are not looking at the big picture.
Canada is facing increased economic uncertainty, slow growth and job losses. There is a cost of living and affordability crisis that has been impacting Niagara, greater than many other regions in the province.
Mayoral candidates using gimmicks such as, taking a $1-dollar annual salary and suggesting NOTL pay less for police servicing costs (which would mean the other 11 lower-tier municipalities will have to pay more will never happen) are not viable solutions.
We need a very bold transformation, not incremental tweaks. Amalgamation will conservatively free up over $50 million annually to address emerging needs and keep tax increases at the current inflation rate.
If not amalgamation, then there needs to be quantum leap cuts in services, which our residents will not accept.
There may be other options to reduce the cost of current base services significantly in collaboration with the other 12 municipalities, since over $1.2 billion of the $2 billion of costs are of similar services.
They will need to be leading-edge solutions on how and who provides the services to produce cost reductions for the same level of service. This will require a very progressive lord mayor who represents NOTL on the Niagara Region council. This transformation needs to be proposed and actioned swiftly early in the new term, no later than the end of 2028.
Unfortunately, with only 30 to 40 per cent voter participation in Niagara, we are not hearing the voices of the silent majority, many of whom are suffering to make ends meet.
When we vote for our next lord mayor or local councillors, consider who will have the courage to make the bold quantum leap changes needed to address the affordability crisis.
If not, in 2030 we will see another 25 to 30 per cent increase in our property taxes. This will not move the needle on addressing the emerging crisis facing Niagara residents.
We do not want to be in position after this four-year term to say “after 60 years it is the same old, same old.”
Harry Schlange
NOTL
