Poor justification for another tax increase in CBS

Dear Editor:

I write just a few days after learning that the Town of CBS will once again increase the mill rate in the new budget. This being the 50th anniversary of the town, I doubt very much if the residents of the town in the 1970’s would ever have envisioned paying taxes of over $3,000 per year back then.

Each new council seems to think that new construction, additional services and higher taxes are in the best interest of the citizenry. The council should look to a mandate of less government and concentrate on basic services that caused the creation of the town in the first place.

I suggest their priorities should be in no particular order, roads, water and sewerage, garbage, lighting, fire protection and recreation.

I walk the Kiwanis trail every day, passing the new stadium and overlooking Sgt. Ned Nugent Park and see a few hikers and a few people at the dog park. Both arenas and all the ball fields are almost always empty. Other softball fields are empty almost all the time with the exception of the Seal Cove one. Now the council is about to go further in debt, building a new community centre. This is insane as we already have more than enough facilities for our population and are only a few minutes away from others in Mount Pearl and St. John’s.

If these facilities are costing the taxpayers for staffing and maintenance, then turn them over to volunteer organizations or sell them to private entities that can operate them properly.

Also, to consider giving money and access to those deplorable ATVs and their owners is insane. They are an abomination. All they ever do is cause destruction and vandalism. Only Search and Rescue volunteers should be using them.

I suggest that instead of a rate increase we should get a decrease by doing a couple of simple things.

First cut the salaries of all senior staff by half. The total for them alone is by 2021 rates approximately 1.3 million dollars for their base rates, not counting benefits or bonuses. It takes more than the taxes from 500 homes just to meet that obligation. I am sure that the senior staff will not appreciate this measure but am also sure there are plenty of people who would apply for the positions.

Also look at basic services and eliminate all other departments which probably will reduce the expenditures by millions of taxpayer dollars.

One thing this council does well is provide great trails which helps us stay healthy and I really want to commend them for that. On that note the people using those trails should really pick up after their dogs. I spent a full afternoon this past week cleaning the trail from Kiwanis ballpark to Kent only to see doggie deposits the very next day. Our citizens take very little pride in our beautiful trails and if you really want to see an eyesore look at the grass surrounding the new stadium.

On a totally separate topic, I would like to express my thanks to The Shoreline and to Craig Westcott in particular for his commentary on the Israeli/Gaza conflict. Clear, concise, knowledgeable and very helpful. I also want to thank him for allowing others to express opposing views that border on antisemitism.

If you watch the anti Israel protests you will notice that most of the protesters mask their faces either out of shame for their actions or by the mandate of a dark ages decree.

Thank you,

Walter Quinlan

Kelligrews