Jul 11, 2013


Taxes and Tory Politicians

As reported in the Frontenac News (North Frontenac Council, July 4, 2013), at the last North Frontenac Council meeting, Councillors Gerry Martin, Lonnie Watkins, and Deputy Mayor Fred Perry decided that Progressive Conservative politics were more important than giving north Frontenac ratepayers a break on their taxes. In voting down a solar panel project which would have given the municipality a return of 7% on its investment, these politicians followed the Tory party line which says that solar and wind power has been and will be responsible for hydro rate increases. However, just because it's in the Tory Party Platform does not mean that it is true. In fact, according to the Ontario Energy Board, nuclear power has been responsible for 45% of the rate increases since 2006 and wind and solar for only 6%. In the future, the introductory pricing for solar will be going down while the already astronomically high price to build nuclear reactors will only go higher as more safety systems will have to be installed because of the nuclear catastrophe at Fukushima, Japan. In reality, if the Tories are successful in their campaign to vilify renewable energy, our only alternative will be nuclear power and then the Tories will truly understand what it means to have sky-high hydro rates. In the meantime, the taxpayers of North Frontenac should ask why some of their local politicians are more concerned about playing provincial partisan politics than about their municipal taxes going higher.

Wolfe Erlichman


Re: County Reserves

I believe you understated the excess reserves situation in your June 27th edition regarding County Council (Frontenac County Council, Jun 27/13). The total of the reserves and the “deferred revenue” (which is Federal Gas Tax Money not spent and thus held as a form of reserve) is $16.5 million. You could use that against the total spending of $40.5 million in the approved 2013 budget and get a 40% reserves level, which is still some 2 to 3 times that of others.

However among the City of Kingston and the Provincial and Federal governments, they contribute $24 million. Of the balance $8.3 million comes from the townships.

Assuming the feds, province and the city are good for their share that means $16.5 ($40.5-$24) must be found. On that basis they have 100% in reserves. So reserves, depending on how you want to measure are between 40% and 100% of annual needs. I leave it to the township taxpayers to reach their own conclusions and reflect on their own household reserves, if any. My point was that we had been overtaxed in creating such reserves.

Respectfully,
Walter Knott

 

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