Dane Gibson
Northern News Services

NNSL (July 02/99) - The Yellowknife Property Owners Association is urging residents to publicly reject city council's recent motion to raise property taxes by six per cent.

In a written statement, released Thursday, the association calls the motion to raise taxes "a flagrant and blatant abuse of the fiscal responsibility expected of our elected officials."

The statement says the association fully supports the three councillors -- Cheryl Best, Peggy Near and Dave Ramsay -- for using common sense in voting against the motion.

The statement says in light of recent developments at city hall, raising taxes wasn't necessary.

The claim that the city only had three choices: going into a deficit, cutting services, or raising taxes doesn't hold water with the association.

"What choices do ratepayers and citizens have if their income is reduced? Well, you can demand a raise from your employer -- as if, you can increase your debt load to cover your loss -- ya right, or you can cut your expenditures and make do with less to make ends meet," the release states.

"Should we not expect the same of our elected officials running our city corporation?"

The release notes eight expenditures that city council could have avoided including sending six councillors and three administrators to Halifax for a municipalities conference; paving back alleys on the fringes of the downtown core; and spending $1.3 million to widen Franklin Ave. sidewalks.

"The (association), along with many other ratepayers and citizens, feels very strongly that the councillors and the mayor who voted in favour of this tax increase are very much out of touch with the current circumstances in our city."

The association says it is strongly urging all ratepayers and citizens to take the time to express their displeasure to city hall.

"There is a legal mechanism, a council procedure, that can be used to reverse this decision, we just need the political will to make it happen. Consideration is being given to holding a protest demonstration," the association said.