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6- The Oakville Beaver, Friday February 3, 2006 OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Canadian Circulations | Audit Board Member · THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized fo r Excellence by | oakville galleries | A / 'V T 1 I 3 Ontario Community 1 C X . Newspapers Association Canadian Commumty i Ne*®PaPers Association J fin d ATHENA S K ~4 T h e O a k v ille , M i l t o n Suburban Newspapers of America f Award IAN OLIVER Publisher NEIL OLIVER Associate Publisher JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief RODJERRED ManagingEditor KELLY MONTAGUE Advertising Director DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Manager TERI CASAS MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager RIZIERO VERTOLU Photography Directsr CHARLENE HALL Director ofDistribution ALEXANDRIA CALHOUN Circ. Manager Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd., includes: Ajax/Pickerlng News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping News, Caledon Enterprise, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirror, Erin .Advocate/Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian, Ramborough Review, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, Harriston Review, Huronia Business Times, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist & Sun, Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News, Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee .Guide, Newmarket/Aurora Era-Banner, Northumberland News, North-York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Oakville Shopping News, Oldtlmers Hockey News, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby/Clarington Port Perry This Week, Owen Sound Tribune, Palmerston Observer, Peterborough This Week, Picton County Guide, Richmond Hill/ThornhillA/aughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror, StouffvilleAJxbridge Tribune, Forever Young, City of York Guardian A ta x in g d ile m m a Oakville's 2006 budget committee definitely has a difficult task ahead. On Monday, the Town released its pre liminary $ 195.4-million budget calling for a 5.47 per cent tax increase. For most property taxpayers that's unacceptable and we believe the budget committee will have to whittle that increase down over the coming weeks. However, we also acknowledge that's easier said than done. Some of the increase is due to increased costs from wage settlements, utilities -- hydro is up 12 per cent and diesel/gas costs are up 20 per cent -- and service enhancements like pesticide-free sports field irrigation, new provincial requirements, and maintenance for new ice and sports fields, roads, parks and trails. In addition, Oakville's older areas face rehabilitation costs for roads, sewers and facilities. And then there is the cost of growth. If the lengthy OMB hearing proceeds over the north Oakville lands, it is expected to cost the Town $12 million over two years. The Town's planning and legal departments are also expected to face increased costs from intensification developments in existing areas of town. Meanwhile, Oakville residents have made it clear they want more ice arenas, better roads and improved urban trans portation services. . Arts groups have banded together to form MASS (Music and Art Shared Space) to demand an Oakville Art and Music Centre. None of these demands come cheaply. If you have any ideas on how to reduce the tax increase, the budget com mittee would like to'hear them. The draft budget is available at Town Hall or online at www.oakville.ca. Public delegations will be heard on Feb. 15 from 7:30-11 p.m. and on Feb. 16 from 1-4 p.m. at Town Hall. To register contact kpatrick@oakville.ca or 905845-6601, ext. 4235. Input can also be made via e-mailing budget2006@oakville.ca. Budget meetings are public and are being broadcast at www.oakville.ca at Town TV. The budget is expected to go before Town Council on Monday, March 6. So if you don't want to be hit with a 5.47 per cent tax increase now is the time to speak up and be heard. Complaining afterwards may serve as a way to let off steam, but it won't do your pocketbook any good. The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from jts- readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR It' s always amusing to sift through comments from the media, Town councillors and bureaucracy, when budget time comes around. For the year 2006, we are told Town eyes 5.47 per cent tax increase. New Town Treasurer, Patti Elliott-Spencer, claims 71 per cent want services expanded rather than cut, and 71 per cent want serv ices maintained even if it means a tax hike. I find this hard to believe when the Town is quick to distance itself from tax increases due to property value reassessment -- "call your MPP not the Town." Nobody, but nobody wants tax increases beyond what is absolutely necessary. Town budget raises interesting questions It gets even more laughable when we look at the 'estimated1cost for the North Oakville Secondary Plan (NOSP) appeal via the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). Now at $12 million, but I have heard figures higher than that in the past. Beyond that, one wonders if we have some of our councillors to thank for this enormous (with possibly more to come) expen diture. Way back in June 11, 2005 Councillor Michael Lansdown (exOakvillegreen) was quoted as saying apropos the NOSP `We're tryifig to send out a really strong signal to the development commu nity that we're going to stand by this plan to the death." Fighting words. But it' s not his money. BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com The Town is in, and will be for some time, a growth stage. It's the ancillary items in any budget, the 'wish list' from spe cial interest groups and the cost that attach thereto. While the Ministry of the Environment and a plethora of other government agencies, Provincial, Federal and Regional safeguard our environment, we see Oakville claim ing that the 20Q6 tax hike would increase funding to priori ties like transportation, which I can agree with, and the envi ronment, which I find mystifying. How much are we spending on the environment, in Oakville alone? Pray tell. IVOR DAVIES Candidate says thanks This election was a terrific experience for me as the Conservative candidate for Oakville. Thank you to everyone in Oakville who took the time to talk to me, support me, and participate in this great Canadian democratic process. A special thanks to the many volunteers from all parties who worked so many hours, and the people at The Oakville Beaver who helped present the voters with a real choice. Those who hosted and attended old-fashioned coffee par ties and all-candidates meetings across Oakville connected the candidates to our grass-roots voters. Oakville should be proud of a well-run election. Once again, thank you all for a great experience. TERENCE H. YOUNG CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE FOR OAKVILLE