Position on the Issues
Taxes linked to Services
The Town of Saint Andrews is composed of both a town and a rural areas. The level of municipal services delivered to different parts of the community can differ substantially which can lead to a perception that one part of the community is subsiding another part of the community.
It is therefore important that property taxes be based on the level of municipal services that are provided to residents. The Town has a responsibility to list the services provided to residents and the cost of each service so that residents can see how their tax dollars are being spent and understand the basis for the property tax rates.
This taxation based on level of municipal services provided will form the foundation for fair and transparent property taxes and go a long ways in building a strong unified community.
Working together as one Community
The Town of Saint Andrews is still recovering from the shock of amalgamation and in many ways is still thinking in terms of three communities. The system of wards with one councillor from Bayside, one from Chamcook and four from the Town of Saint Andrews reinforces this three community view and limits Bayside and Chamcook representation on Council.
Time has come to start working together as one community with common goals and building on what unites us rather than our differences.
Eliminating the ward system would allow all residents of Saint Andrews to vote for six councillors and move the Town one step closer to operating as one community. Council would be truly representative of the community since Councillors would need to have a broad base of support from all parts of the community to be elected. This would give rural and town residents a real voice on council.
Property Taxes
New Brunswick has traditionally had one of the highest tax rates in the country but this was offset by the fact that property values have been amongst the lowest in the country.
Residental property revenues in the town portion of Saint Andrews have increased by 32% since 2022 while the tax rate has only decreased by 12%. Similarly in Bayside and Chamcook, residential property revenues have increased by 27.5% since 2023 while the tax rate has only decreased by 3%. This indicates that assessments across the board are rising faster than tax rate decreases which leads to higher property taxes.
The property tax you pay is
Property Tax = Tax Rate X Assessed Value ÷ 100
So to protect the public from large tax increases from assessment value spikes, I would advocate that the tax rate be linked to the average increase in assessed values. If average assessments go up by 15% then the tax rate goes down by 15%. There needs to be some growth in revenue to account for increased costs due to inflation but much of this growth can come taxes on new construction .
Treating every tax dollar with respect
Sometimes in government, it is easy to lose perspective about the money being spent by the Town especially when the numbers get large and the issues are complex. It is important to treat every tax dollar with respect and recognize that the funds entrusted to the Town come from the residents. When approving expenditures, it is important to pause and consider if the expense is in the best interests of the residents of the community.
Council need to ask for every expenditure
“Would the residents think this expenditure is a wise use of their funds” … if not then maybe the expenditure should be reviewed
Transparency
Transparency and openness breeds trust in local governments. If government is open and honest it goes a long way in building confidence in the council that are making difficult decisions. Having meetings behind closed doors or limiting public input on important decisions raises concerns, causes unnecessary conflict and drives a wedge between the councillors and the public they represent.
The public has a right to know what their local government is doing and ask questions on any topic…not just what is on the agenda
Major Initiatives (ie. Wharf)
Major initiatives need to follow established project management standards and best practices to ensure a successful outcome. Once it is decided to proceed with a major initiative, the first step should be to engage the services of a project manager who will be accountable to Council for establishing the budget, identifying a source of funds, developing schedules and having a clearly defined scope for the project. The project manager will also be responsible for stakeholder engagement to ensure that the initiative is understood and there is general agreement on project outcomes. Finally, the project manager is responsible and accountable for managing the project which includes maintaining clear communications with all stakeholders.
Town Strategic Vision
(Municipal Plan and Zoning Bylaw)
The strategic vision for Town of Saint Andrews must come from community values and how the public wants to see their town evolve over the next ten years. The recent amalgamation of the community has presented new challenges where rural residents have different ideas and priorities than those who live in the town. Although there are differences, there is a lot of common ground such as strengthening property rights, minimizing taxes, preserving our heritage and environment, having clean drinking water and making Saint Andrews into a great community for our children and grandchildren. We must aspire to do better and make Saint Andrews an even better place while holding true to our values.
Town Debt
Carrying a large debt robs the Town of the flexibility to deal with unforeseen events, adds unnecessary debt servicing and interest costs, and is unfair to our children and grandchildren. Debt is not a bad thing but it must be carefully controlled or it will control us.
Right now the Town debt of about $6,000,000 is precariously high for a town of 3000 people and is expected to grow to over $11,000,000 over the next five years. We have the highest per person debt in all of Charlotte County and on a per capital basis our debt is almost twice the Provincial average.
We need to look for new sources of revenue, cut expenses, seek out federal and provincial funding and leverage on our strengths.
In short, we need to take control of our spending to position the Town for future success.