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70
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4 pages
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City Managers Live in a Different World
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I watched some of the budget meeting and was appalled at how little members of council pushed back on that slick presentation. City managers want more staff and want to spend more money again this year and they want us taxpayers to cover the cost of their extravagance. We just can't afford that. It doesn't look like this council has taken any of your suggestions on how to balance the budget. I don't see a lot of progress from last year. It looks like business as usual. It seems that they are living in a different world from the rest of us. Oh. maybe they are with their gold plated city salaries. I challenge those wealthy city managers to spend a week with us commoners and see how they get by on my $29,000 a year income.
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Helen Bronson
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Dear City Councillors
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It’s not business as usual. It’s very easy to say “yes” to an increase in city budgets for the next year, but I beseech you to say “no”.
You have been provided a very detailed road map in this report to at the very least stop any increase in expenditure.
Please make tough decisions, cut staffing, cut services, look at each expenditure as if it were your own money.
It’s time now for decisions that may not be popular with some groups of taxpayers but will absolutely be popular with the majority.
You are our voice to these budget decisions.
It’s time for changes.
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Grant McKinnon
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Bag Tags
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I’m a widower living alone in a house my late husband and I bought 55 years ago. I am just getting by on a small pension and what’s left of our savings. I know it’s only a dollar but I need every dollar I can get to buy groceries. I can’t afford the bag tag increase and I regret that I voted for Jon Farmer.
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Betty G
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How Many Employees at City Hall?
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Excellent analysis! I’ve had a feeling for some time that city hall was over staffed so it’s good to see that the data supports my hunch. It’s hard to believe that the cost of running the city is growing in leaps and bounds while the population is literally flat. What is the cause for this? Are they hiring new employees? Someone needs to look at how many employees have been added to the payroll over the last ten years.
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Joe Benninger
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Art Gallery Budget is Too Large
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A most interesting dissertation on the City's tax burden. A personal observation on the art gallery from when I used to work before retiring. From 2003 to 2008 when I was a Canada Post mailman my route centered around the Library and art gallery, I was past the two facilities around the noon hour on my morning route and around 1 pm and 3:00 pm on the afternoon section. I observed maybe a half dozen people entering the gallery each year. Hardly a tourist attraction when you have those sort of numbers. At best this facility should be run by volunteers and no public funds. The City picks up the utility bills and property taxes so there is no need for public funds. Let the volunteers raise any further funds.
As for Public Transit it is a lost cause. The buses remain pretty well empty. At a bare minimum this service should be cut back to Monday to Friday and none on Saturday. Saturday is the same as Sunday: schools and Georgian College are closed, hospital is minimally staffed, vast majority of doctor's offices are closed. The service simply is not needed on weekends.
Another topic that the author missed is the Bayshore/Rec Center. These two make the above seem like small potatoes. Who would have thought the Rec Center would be so hugely over budget when built and the boosters neglected to mention that the operating deficit for EACH would be $500,000 per annum. The late Peter Lemon while on council said the Rec Center's debt would be financed from the interest reaped from the sale of Georgian Bay Energy. Just when will this white elephant be paid off and those funds be used on road improvements? It has been over 10 years since it opened. A city of 22,000 simply cannot fund two money pits that cater to winter sports. One of them has to close.
How about the City do a cost/benefit analysis of having the Attack in town? Seems like since Junior A hockey came to the Scenic City in 1989 our population has plateaued and we have had a rash of major employer departures. I think that we were sold a bucket of used pucks when the hockey proponents boasted that a Junior A franchise would put Owen Sound "on the map" and that there would be huge economic benefits. Unfortunately the opposite has happened.
Only good thing is the City has got rid of the Airport. I believe that we do not miss the Airport and we would not miss the Art Gallery or Junior A hockey. After all the City's economy does not collapse when hockey season is over. The savings could be immense by getting rid of the franchise. JOHN PICKETT.
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JOHN PICKETT
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Afordability
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As a senior woman living alone, by choice, expenses are top of my concerns. My income is slightly under $22,000/yr. I own my home and car. I constantly update my home by saving up for things. Furthermore, I've never been on a trip. I cannot pay any more in taxes than now. I cannot imagine this little place having 73 people working with taxpayers paying over $100,000/yr. Somebody is laughing all the way to the bank. Please, people, do not ask me for donations to anything, and give me a dirty look when I say NO.
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Carol-Ann Lamothe
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Bought a House in Georgian Bluffs
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I just read Mr Hutton’s post on Facebook and read his articles here. I found the articles on taxes interesting. Last year I got a new job in Owen Sound and relocated to the area. We were looking to buy in Owen Sound until our realtor told us that we would be better off to buy in Georgian Bluffs because of the lower taxes and larger lots. I had assumed that the higher taxes were to get municipal water and sewer instead of well and septic. However after reading the articles on this website site I now know this was a result of mismanagement at city hall. Am I ever happy we bought in Georgian Bluffs. I’m saving $2,000 a year in taxes and it only takes me 10 minutes to get to work.
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Harry Robinson
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High taxes deterred us from buying in town
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Owen Sound is ridiculous for taxes. We moved from Cambridge but did not purchase a house in Owen Sound because of the taxes. They would have been around the same amount we were paying in Cambridge, but without everything that we were getting before. There are not a lot of parks. I haven't seen splash pads for kids (yes there is Kelso beach). There is all this beautiful wilderness but nothing like bike paths to attract towns folks or tourists! We went from being able to ride to multiple cities before to risking our lives if we want to go out. We moved out of town and I drive 30 mins to work as it is worth it. We have an all electric car household so it does not cost us much. We would have moved into town if it was more comparable to what we had before for the taxes that were being paid.
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Deanna M.
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Proposed Tax Increase
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If taxes increase, I will be relocating my family out of the City of Owen Sound. This city does not offer many services to justify the rising taxes. With inflating costs, we cannot afford another increase as a family.
There’s no arena time for youth except one hour of public skating on Sundays unless you can afford to rent it for $195/hour, no indoor pool facilities other than the YMCA which is $12/p per day or a monthly membership, no composting services, garbage picked up every other week which smells by that time especially in summer. Take a look at other cities/municipalities that have youth working part time at their facilities. I do not see youth working in ours. Previous council brought up that city was over staffed. Imagine the services we could add if we reallocated some of these costs into our wants as residences. Do they even live in Owen Sound? We need to do better.
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Ash
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High Taxes are Driving Me to Move
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Year after year I'm seeing tax increase after tax increase. Council knows Owen Sound has a serious problem with wildly growing taxes. Why are they not doing anything about it. They know our city hall has too many employees working in administration and not enough out delivering services, They see it but they don't do anything about it. It's time to cut back! It's time for members of council to listen to Owen Sound residents. We can't afford another tax increase. If they go ahead with their business as usual attitude and raise tax again I will be moving out of town. Likely moving to Georgian Bluffs.
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John Britten
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High Taxes Forced Us to Buy Outside the City
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Owen Sound is ridiculous for taxes. We moved from Cambridge but bought outside the city to live because of taxes. I work in Owen Sound, but it is worth the drive and savings to live outside of town until they get taxes under control. The services offered for the high taxes do not make any sense and people will not move there until things are under control .
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Dee Fry
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Why Do Councillors Ignore Us After Election
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Mr Hutton thank you for all of your work. It’s very concerning that members of council are choosing to ignore the your appeals for them to reduce the cost of running the city. Your comparison of Owen Sound with Collingwood is alarming. It’s hard to believe that they in spite of the facts you presented they still increased spending in this year’s budget. It seems that they only listen to us during election time. I also remember the promises made by all of the candidates last year that were quickly forgotten after the election. The mayor said he was going to look at the budget and have a budget committee but he seems have forgotten. I can’t wait to read your new report.
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Donna Couture
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The Art Gallery
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I can’t determine how many people visit, pay or donate to our art gallery.
Maybe someone can tell me.
With a budget and expenditure of close to $900k, let’s assume it’s 2k a year.
On a per person cost, I’m astounded at this cost. I do not want my tax dollar to subsidize patrons to this extent.
If I’m wrong, please correct me.
Maybe it’s time for
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Grant Mckinnon
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Promises Made – Promises Broken
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I clearly remember during the all candidates meetings almost all of the members of our current council speaking about the challenges facing all of us and promising to reduce costs at city hall. I recall Mayor Boddy promising to change things and as he’s been promising for the last 15 years to grow the tax base to take the pressure off of residents. I recall Deputy Mayor Greig speaking strongly about the need to reduce costs and promising to create a Budget Committee to stay on top of growing expenses.
It has been one year since the election. 25% of your 4 year mandate has come and gone and none of these promises have been put into action. It is hard to believe that we spent over $100,000 on a consultant study that did not tell us anything and now you have a resident study that cost you nothing. If anything like Mr. Hutton’s previous work it should open your eyes. I can’t wait to read it.
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Helen Buster
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Wake Up City Council
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I’m sure as a City Council you are aware and are reading these comments.
As a council the buck stops with you. Please treat your approvals as if you were spending your own money. Do not fall into a mode of OPM. Other People’s Money.
After spending thousands of tax payers dollars on consulting reports, you have been provided a free report worth literally thousands that provides solutions.
Please act accordingly. Your have been elected to be our voice and custodian for future generations.
Actions in the past call for change.
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Grant Mckinnon
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Hollow Promises to Lower Taxes
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I’ve been following your website for some time now and I’ve read all of your posts. I just want you to know how much my mother and I appreciate all of the work you’ve done. You have such great ideas on how to fix our broken city hall. We both think that you should have run for mayor. The two people who are running have both been part of the problem for over 20 years. They don’t bring any new ideas to the table and we both laughed when we heard Richard Thomas say he was going to lower taxes right after he said that he’s been around city hall for over 20 years. If he was really going to lower taxes why did it take him 20 years to get around to it? Perhaps he started to read your posts and finally recognized that high taxes was a problem.
Thank you for all of your work.
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Janice Rutherford
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Accountability and Transparency
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Mr. Hutton, What can I say? I have just revisited your offerings in the "HUB" and send you kudos for expressing not only concerns..... but also some solutions.
I too have very real concerns about the actions and non-actions of Owen Sound Council and some staff members and the negative impact on city taxpayers. The lack of ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY AND FAIRNESS is evident.
Mr. Hutton, my experience over a period of time in centered on the process to receive Council's approval for the most recent fire department apparatus purchase. There is NO doubt at all that that there was an opportunity to save a minimum of $350,000. I have taken this matter so seriously that I have filed an official complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman with materials also sent to our local MPP and to the office of Premier Ford.
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Ken Jones
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We Cannot Afford the Taxes
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Hi, we can't afford to have our taxes increased anymore because with inflation etc. My brother desperately wants to move back to Owen Sound but the taxes are driving him and other's away. Why do you think we don't have any industry? Because of the high taxes. I'm voting against the 2023 taxes increase.
Regards
Denise Court
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Denise Court
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Real Cost of Budget Items
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Hi Mr. Hutton
I am a resident of Owen Sound. I arrived in Owen Sound when I was 13 years old and have lived here for 50 years. I retired 6 years ago and have never been employed, as an adult, in Owen Sound.
I’ve read many of your pieces in social media and have been subsequently alarmed, educated and entertained. One thing that I have not read and would be interested in seeing is a piece by your on the cost of specific but not yet identified general or specific line items contained in the 2023 city budget, by household. I’m pretty sure that you have access to the information at your fingertips and your abacus at your side. For instance, what is the cost of police services per household eg [OSPS operations/acquisitions/expenditures] / [[OS population/ave # of household residents]]? The fire department?? The city manager’s office???
The idea comes from the alarm, education and entertainment that you have provided to me, but mostly that a piece by you with widespread distribution might inflame others.
The mayor’s words that this budget is a good thing don’t necessarily ring true to me. I’ve learned over a lifetime that the least bad thing isn’t really a good thing… it’s still a bad thing.
Regards, and I thank you for your work thus far.
Mac Robinson
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Mac Robinson
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Why Did Council Grow City Staff so BIG
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Why did our city council allow city hall to grow so big when Owen Sound has not grown at all in the last 20 years? Are they caving to the city manager instead of looking out for taxpayers?
We need the Mayor to explain why this has been allowed to happen and what he’s going to do about it.
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Scott Robinson
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