Holding the tax line no cause for celebration

The recently released 2015 budget has put a freeze on taxes, but not all Windsor residents are celebrating.

For the seventh year in a row, the city voted to neither increase nor decrease property taxes.  According to the report, “The recommended budget for 2015 achieves council’s directive of holding the line on taxes.”

Kevin Awarm, 48, said he believes a zero per cent increase in taxes is a bad thing for the city, but that it doesn’t affect him either way.

“Maybe someone in a lower tax bracket might have a hard time if taxes go up,” he said.  “But that’s all part of taxes, right? To help pay for things, for improvements, to make it a better community to live in.”

Awarm, who has lived and worked as a mechanic in Windsor for over 20 years, said he currently pays approximately $3,200 a year in taxes.  He pointed out, however, that he pays nearly as much for his family of four to maintain their cell phone plan.

“We never complain about our cell phones, and we don’t complain about the amount we spent on TV all year.  Those are big amounts,” Awram said.  “People don’t like paying taxes, but they do.  If they do what they’re supposed to do then they’re fine.”

Glen Benson is retired from Chrysler and now collects Canada Pension in addition to his pension from the automotive company.  He said holding the line on taxes hasn’t affected him.

Even though property taxes may not have gone up, Benson said his property assessment from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation has.  This caused taxes on his house to increase from $2,800 to $3,200 last year, despite the line being held.

Though the 2015 budget report states holding the line, “…has generally been achieved without significant impact on services,” both Windsorites mentioned the roads and infrastructure as needing more funding and attention.

Ken Regnier, a co-worker of Awram in Windsor, has a two-year-old daughter. He said he would like to see more of his tax money be put towards activities and entertainment for young people.

“I can take her to Adventure Bay but she can’t play in any of the pools. She can play in the splash pads because she’s little.  What else is there,” he said, referring to how much of the tax money went towards building the aquatic centre.

The 2015 budget requires all city funded agencies, boards and committees to request the same, or a lesser amount than they did in 2014. It also indicates increased funding to departments such as police and land ambulance.

While Awram said giving less to those agencies than last year feels like going backwards, he also said he supports an increase to the emergency services departments.

Benson agreed and said he supports emergency services getting better funding.

“Since I was unionized all my life, I’d tell them to go for it…I wouldn’t take their job,” he said.

Windsor Police Services will see a $1.2 million increase this year.

The report also stated, “It is likely that service levels will start to deteriorate due to inflationary pressures without at least modest increases to the tax levy in the near term.”

Windsor residents will enjoy at least one more year of a zero per cent tax increase, but with no promise on the conditions of service levels and public maintenance.