Town needs a balanced budget and no new taxes

To the Town of Amherstburg taxpayers, please know that I respect your intelligence and your wishes for a competent and transparent government.

Let’s talk about taxes.

It is a wrong decision to raise taxes when our residents are already financially burdened. With core inflation at seven per cent and with food and energy costs rising to 15 per cent, we are standing on the cliff into a recession. Individuals with fixed incomes and families are and will be among the first to feel the effects.

When deciding on the Town budget and ultimately the funding of it through taxation, why can we not have clear simplified financial reports detailing the costs to operate our municipality and the revenue we derive from all sources?

Valuable information with clear separate line items should include revenue expected to be received in any given year as a result of development (residential and commercial), property assessment and additional revenue expected as a result of re-assessment, and finally, revenue that results from the operation of Town owned facilities.

What is the five-year average for both revenue and expenditures?

Once we know and understand these things, we will know our budget. Simple. Must haves include police and fire protection, clean water, safe roads, recreational facilities. Items not included on the “must have” list, should be on the “want list” or “nice to have list.” The “nice to have list” require a long-term plan in place to finance some of the other non- essential town projects. These projects should only make the budget after extensive public input, in depth financial analysis and a plan. Completing projects with no plan and with borrowed money only causes increased taxes when financial obligations cannot be met.

The key to balancing the budget is to raise revenues through growth, and this will require a business-friendly culture to attract and retain business. For the sake of its residents, our town needs to operate with a balanced budget and no new taxes.

—Frank Cerasa Amherstburg

Essex County. I don’t mention this to brag or to call attention to myself, but I do so to show that I know there is a commitment level involved to giving back. There are many great non-profit organizations in Amherstburg and in Windsor-Essex County that people can give back to, so I commend those who choose to contribute positively to their communities.

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Thanks for reading, folks!

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