North

District

tax hike ‘deceitiul

Dear Editor:

IT would cerm the quoted 4.3% increase in
municipal taxes (March 6) for North
Vancouver District to be at least deceitful of
net an outright lie! Council's use of surplus
funds in our water utility to make it appear that
our taxes have only gone up 4.3% is in my
opinion fraudulent.

You will nute_on page AG of the District's
Dralt Financial Plan thar the 1999 property
taxes were on average $1,329 while for 2000
they are $1,403.29 which is an increase of
5.59%. The story docs not end here however.
You will note that utility “surpluses” for our

water and sewer/drainage, in the amount of

$33 has been used to make it appear that our
“taxes” have gone up only 4.3%. Correcting
for this gives a far more accurate picture of the

“real” tax increase — 6.1% a figure more than
40% higher than is officially quoted.

Although it is illegal to use surpluses in uul-
ity fees ta subsidize general taxes this is in
essence what has been done. Now we see the
teal reason why our water billing was changed
from February to coincide with the tax bill pay-
ment in the summer! The uubty surpluses are
due to our reduced water consumption over
the last avo years, which was largely the result
of the wet summers and the sprinkling restric:
tions. The savings in our water/sewage rates
should not have been coupled to the tax
increases. Our hard work/good fortune in this
area should not be used as a smokescreen on
how badly the district has managed its finances.
Corrie Kost
North Vancouver

arbage a weighty issue

Dear Editor:

Re: New North
Vancouver District garbage
container bylaw (March 12
North Shore News mail-
box.)

Whar ever happened to
making job applicants meet

for the
required,

can,
There

to lift up to 50 tb. about
three feet high.

Ifa worker cannot do that
entire
he
replaced with a worker who

was

without disrupting the entire
community.

Since the crux of the mat-
ter is weight, rather than size
or shape of the container,
why not address the weight
problem directly.

] fault the district council
that the new bylaw was not

work shift
should be

already a

00D NEWS, MA.

PREMIER! WE'VE
COME UP WITH A
SOLUTION TO GUR
REVENUE SHORTFALL. ..

VK TANS Concern tes BT HN PECTS ee wane nai tee aon

No pensions for incompetents

Dear Editor:

The ethics of every member of the NDP gov:
ernment must have been painfully strained every
payday during the nine years of their incompe-
tent reign of ruin. But the acid test will come if
even one of them dares accept the unearned pen-

job specifications? Has pres-
sure from the WCB and the
unions spooked our govern-
ing council into hastily enact-
ing a bylaw causing thou-
sands of households hun-
@reds of thousands of dollars
in the aggregate. -

- Other municipal employ-
ees, such as firemen and
police, have to meet specific
job-related — specifications
relatiag to physical attributes.

It seems that the principal
physical attribute for waste
collection personnel is ability

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weight restriction in place,
the 44 Ib. limit, which was
accepted without much com-
plaint.

Why not enforce — it!
Workers could be tained to
recognize “overweight” con-
tainers and leave them with-
out emptying.

“Yes, the district would get
a few irate calls and demands
tor special pickups.

But to stand their ground
and support the worker
would soon have the few who
misuse the service in line,

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adequately advertised, and
insufficient provision made
to allow the public to consid-
er the ramifications and make
intelligent response.

In matters obviously
affecting the entire commu-
nity, merely complying with
“the letter of the law"
regarding public notice, does
not meet the moral duty of
our leaders to seek and
encourage public input.

W. W. Saxton
North Vancouver

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as well as providing conclusive proof of the peo-
ple's foolhardy complacence if we don’t demand
a change of rules to prevent them.

Denis Mason

West Vancouver

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Attend the Public Meeting
Monday, March 27, 2000
7:30pm at

West Vancouver Municipal Hall

750-17th Street

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