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Residents are being taxed out of their homes

We would expect taxes to increase but not at this exorbitant rate

Re: Mayor responds to local concerns, Letters (June 27)

I have been a resident of Hope for 59 years and at my present address for 33 years.

I am enclosing this letter with my tax payment for which I am extremely unhappy due to an exorbitant increase. Our house is 65 years old and modest at 1,168 square feet on a 60’ x 110’ lot. Our increase this year was $473.24 which is a 25.7 per cent increase over last year. We would expect it to increase but not at this exorbitant rate as our pensions/wages are certainly not increasing like this. We have had to borrow to cover this tax increase. I feel we are being taxed out of our homes.

This council is not listening to the taxpayers of Hope. We have had to bear the cost of the new Kawkawa Lake Bridge and now I understand there is another being built at Suckers Creek for a significant amount of money as well. We do not need a new fire truck, a fire chief or as many employees in administration – this is not Surrey. If we wanted to live in the city we would, but this is a small town with few amenities. Cut the capital expenditures, wages/number of staff at district hall and keep our taxes down.

Listen to your residents of Hope. I am semi-retired on pension and cannot afford this increase. We must find a way to encourage industry/business back to our community. I note that many feel the same as I do about the recent branding exercise and produced nothing for the cost. It seems 80 per cent  of people that recently responded to The Hope Standard Question of the Week think that this was a major waste of money. I fully agree with the other letters (Pat Furness, Marj Houghton and Lloyd Dupas) that were in The Hope Standard. We have put our trust in our mayor and council to do a job for us and it is very evident that the populous is not happy with the result thus far. What are you going to about it?

Ronald Wort,

Hope