#1 MUNICIPAL ISSUE ‘TAXES’

I have met many of the candidates running in the 2026 elections. There are many really good choices—and some, well... One thing I find concerning is the lack of understanding about the importance of municipal taxes: how they are calculated and what they actually cover.For voters, TAXES have to be the number one issue on which to base your vote. Taxes are calculated using the mill rate multiplied by the assessed value—not the market value. Taxes are a reflection of the success of the administration responsible for managing them. It has become fashionable across the region to increase taxes every year—increases that do not take into consideration the financial hardships many people are facing. People don’t understand taxes. They just pay them and hope for the best. The sad reality is that life keeps getting worse. Many families are losing their homes, and for many, rent has become something they simply cannot afford. People working two or three jobs can barely make ends meet. Rents have become a runaway train with no real mechanism in place to help maintain some sort of sustainable lifestyle. For this reason, question your candidate. When they knock on your door, ask them: What will you do to freeze or cut taxes? What will you do to control rents and attract businesses? If, on the first question, they tell you, “Oh, well, we can’t just cut taxes...” — BIG NO. On the second question, if they give you a general answer without any solid proposals — BIG NO. The candidate you should be looking for is one who, on the first question, will tell you: “As a member of council, I promise to work hard to bring any waste of tax dollars before council. I will ensure that current and future projects are capped, postponed, or put on the shelf when necessary, and that those savings are used to help freeze taxes. “I will go department by department and examine where these budgets keep increasing. I want to conduct an analysis of productivity and responsibility based on job descriptions.” As it stands, there are many people being paid huge amounts of money to work half days and/or sit on their hands until their department is called upon to look into something.Other departments have taken the attitude of not going out of their way because doing so may bring scrutiny and potentially threaten jobs. We are not running municipal offices like well-orchestrated corporations.In many cases, municipalities are operated on a budget-mandate basis. This means each department maxes out its budget, only to turn around and ask for more the following year. Every municipality is grappling with one current or future project that could have a major impact on taxes. These projects need to be put on ice and reconsidered when the economy is doing better. As for the second part—what to do about rents—municipalities have taxation tools available to them.Many property owners, especially commercial property owners, are paying extremely high taxes. As a municipal representative, you have the option of developing a plan that gives tax discounts to property owners as long as they pass those savings on to their tenants. Here is an example:If a landlord enters into an agreement with the municipality, the landlord could receive a 30% tax discount. In return, the landlord agrees to cap rental rates at a pre-set amount per square foot. What could this mean? If you are now paying $2,000 per month, under such a municipal program you could potentially be paying $800/mth. Think about the potential for economic growth. Think about how this could help families and businesses across the municipality. Affordability would be put back into taxpayers’ hands. This is the type of program that could be explored and implemented. Why is it not being done? Well, many elected officials don’t have a clue where to even begin. Many elected officials do not have the understanding, the historical perspective and/or the administrative insight it takes to put something like this together. Many people currently elected promised the world to get into office. Once elected, they quickly found out what the job really involves. Due to intimidation, lack of experience, or limits in their understanding of municipal administration, some do the bare minimum and, in many cases, depend on peer cooperation in order to get things passed. This right here is one of the main reasons taxes keep going up.Staff asks. No one questions. No one looks deeply enough into the request.Budgets get passed. Tax dollars get wasted on pie-in-the-sky projects that do not benefit taxpayers. Look at Oshawa. Millions have been committed to major projects, while taxpayers continue to face increased costs. Whether it is support for major industrial projects, recreational facilities, parks, or other large capital projects, voters should be asking one simple question: What is the long-term cost to the taxpayer, and what measurable benefit are we actually receiving? VOTERS, BE AWARE. In 2026, don’t vote based on a sign, a smile, or a campaign slogan. Ask questions. Demand numbers. Demand answers. And above all—ask what your candidate is going to do about your taxes.