Editor:
Re: “Sechelt budget put on hold in response to new reality,” April 3.
The world is in the eye of a deadly storm – a history-making pandemic. Businesses are closed, millions are out of work, food shopping is disturbing, the world is uncertain of the future, and people are dying.
However, Sechelt Mayor Darnelda Siegers said a zero tax increase for 2020 is “not realistic; that’s not going to happen.”
I do not profess to know much about politics, nor have I an education in economics; however, from my simple-minded knowledge of watching the news for the last two weeks, it is my understanding that our federal and provincial governments are giving out billions of dollars in emergency funding. Yet our own mayor in the District of Sechelt is telling the community they have to raise our taxes?
Am I understanding this correctly? We as citizens are cutting back – battening down the hatches. Some people have zero and need help, those fortunate to have savings will be draining them to survive and somehow our local government thinks it can raise the taxes?
Freeze taxes – I am certain they can run our community with the 2019 tax base. We all have to, and with less.
Monica Petreny, West Sechelt
