Lower Taxes!
This is the mantra of the masses, propagated by politicians. It is a message of fear that attempts to shift the citizen’s focus away from what is actually going on. An honest politician has to catch themselves feeding into the narrative that lowering taxes helps keep more money in your pocket and continually refocus the public’s attention to the future.
Municipal taxes are pretty amazing – they directly go to the city that we live in. Like any organization, the revenue generated goes into growth, improvement and maintenance. Balancing those goals effectively is the role of council; not lowering taxes. Visionary and responsible governance is single handedly the most effective tool to bringing wealth to a community; not ensuring you keep a few extra dollars in your pocket.
You want Sarnia to be a place that flourishes so your kids actually want to stay? You want the value of your home to increase? You want your personal financial picture to improve in the long run or the short term? You want more lucrative employment opportunities? You want new company’s to setup shop here? Then hold your politicians responsible to govern wisely and hold them to a high standard of accountability. You cannot improve your personal financial situation through lowering taxes. You can only do it through thoughtful governance.