Lake of Bays Mayor told that Council 'should all be ashamed of yourselves' for the 9.6% tax increase
Lake of Bays Mayor, Terry Glover, was told that Council should be ashamed for the recent tax increase, in the July 9, 2024, meeting.
On Tuesday June 11th, the Mayor, and Councillor, Jacqueline Godard, received a letter from resident, John Arruda, about the Township’s 9.6% tax increase approved by Council.
Glover read the letter in the meeting, in which Arruda expressed, “I’m not only shocked, but also angry and outraged.”
Arruda indicated that the increase was higher than the City of Toronto, and double the rate of inflation, and questioned how Council could justify “such a ridiculous increase.”
He expressed concern about the comparison to pay increases, suggesting that people aren’t getting pay increases that match the almost 10% tax increase.
He said, “You should all be ashamed of yourselves.”
He added, “Is this why you ran for the positions you hold, to make lives of people unaffordable? Shame on you. You raise our property taxes and cut back on services.”
Arruda also suggested that community members are frustrated with Council interfering with progress in the Township. “Businesses try to open or expand, and you always get in the way. That is not what you were elected to do.”
He advised that he has worked with MPPs and Ministers for the Ontario government for 37 years and is finding himself in a position where community members want him to run for Mayor, which he wasn’t considering until now.
He expressed, “Remember that you work for everyone not just a few who think they run the Township. This madness needs to stop.”
Arruda also copied the letter to Ontario Premier, Doug Ford.
Glover suggested that residents approach the MPP about the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) about not conducting assessments since 2016.
He indicated that it’s challenging for the Township to work with today’s prices of products like gas and gravel.
He added, “There needs to be an MPAC assessment put in place. We’re still living with the 2016 numbers. It makes it difficult to run a municipality on the cost and prices from 2016 numbers as we are now in 2024. Just try and go shopping for groceries.”
