The following was sent to Islands Trust Council trustees and filed with the Driftwood.
By John Hutchinson
As a taxpayer living on Saturna Island, I’m shocked to be facing a 13+ per cent* increase in the Islands Trust portion of my property taxes. How is this even a serious consideration?
The Islands Trust was created in 1974 by the NDP government to address the problem of rampant development of the Islands. The need was for restrictions to prevent the islands from becoming bedroom communities of Vancouver and Victoria. Serious land use planning was needed but at the same time allowing each island to grow into its own unique community.
How is it that in 1998, 30 staff and a budget of $2.8 million were able to accomplish land use planning while at the same time preserving and protecting for future generations? Today there are 70 staff and a whopping $10.8 million budget and still you want to hire three more positions and extend a temporary position of a “policy advisor” for a total of four new hires.
I’ve heard of budget creep, but your proposal is what I call “budget chomp,” which is akin to feeding a Komodo dragon, ripping and tearing the financial flesh off the taxpayers year after year to feed its enormous appetite. We hear a lot of platitudes about affordable housing, but I ask, how is 13+ per cent [or 9.9 per cent] budget chomp not a huge part of the problem? We hear that seven to eight per cent of the proposal is a fixed cost to maintain the negotiated higher wages, rent and the loss of the usual sources of grant money so there is no way to avoid this chomp. I do not accept this because in my opinion this simply means we have been spending more than we can afford. So it’s time to cut back through attrition of vacant positions, non renewal of temporary positions and yes, even layoffs if necessary, and a stop to this hiring binge.
How is it possible to give our youth a positive belief for their future? What about the future of our families and their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews? When I was young (65+years ago) I had a dream! To travel — I did it; a good paying job that I loved — I found it; and the hope of owning my own home — I have it. I consider myself a blessed, lucky and fulfilled person. I strongly believe and support that we owe it to those who follow that with hard work their dreams can come true as well.
Our two Saturna Island trustees understand this and I ask that all trustees support a return back to the basics of land use planning and a stop to duplicating services that are properly and already the jurisdiction of the provincial and federal governments.
The proposed draft policy statement was not supported by Saturna Island for a number of reasons, one of which, if approved, would require an even bigger hiring binge for all the extra necessary administration. A cost of living (two per cent) increase is appropriate.
*Editor’s note: The latest recommendation to Islands Trust Council is for a 9.9 per cent budget increase, but that amount could rise again before the final budget is adopted.