TSBP residents have seen a 45 per cent increase in property taxes over the last 8 years.

Now Bowman wants to raise taxes even more, by eliminating pay parking at the beach.

This would increase the property tax burden by $250,000 to $350,000 dollars, an increase of three to four percent.

This would be unacceptable.  Council should be reducing taxes, not raising them.

 This past year pay parking revenues were $238,000.  Costs were $34,000.  That’s $204,000 net revenue into the town coffers.  That’s $204,000 paying for municipal services.

 If parking is made free that revenue is lost and has to be made up with an increase in TSBP property taxes.

 And if parking is free we get more tourists.  And that means the taxpayers will have to pay more cleanup costs and policing costs.

 Total cost to TSBP taxpayers of the free parking proposal will be $250,000 to $350,000 per year.

 And for this increase in taxes we the residents of TSBP get ….. more tourists.

 The motion to drop parking fees from $15 per day to zero was made by Bowman.   Then Close, Turner, Klages, and Bowman voted to put free parking in the draft budget. (Councillors Jackson, Standen, and McKenzie voted against free parking.)

 The budget has not yet passed.  It can be changed.

Please, TSBP residents, send an e-mail to Bowman, Close, Klages, and Turner (with copy to all other council members).

Contact council members at:

John.Close@southbrucepeninsula.com

paulwmckenzie@bmts.com

Jim.Turner@southbrucepeninsula.com

Marilyn.Bowman@southbrucepeninsula.com

jackson4saublebeach@gmail.com

christhomas@royallepage.ca

kklages@bmts.com

jaybeck@bellnet.ca

cthomasbroker@gmail.com

matt.sixtwenty@gmail.com

m.bowman@sympatico.ca

jet@bmts.com

Please tell them that many in TSBP will be seriously harmed by the free parking proposal.

Please tell them that many in TSBP will be seriously harmed by a three to four per cent tax increase.  Please tell them that except for what is needed for legitimate municipal services, we are entitled to keep our money.

Please tell them that we don’t want another three to four percent tax increase. Tell them we need a significant decrease instead.

 It appears that Bowman is trying to use taxpayers’ money to buy the chamber of commerce vote in the October 27, 2014 election.  Don’t let her get away with it.

 Craig Gammie