Submitted by Leandra Cameron on behalf of Bob Wilson
August 14, 2023
It started last year with the organized hamlet of Spring Bay. This year three other organized hamlets have followed suit. All nine organized hamlets in RM 220 will probably do the following next year.
Negotiate a lower mill rate for their hamlets with the RM of McKillop Council. Reduce the taxes paid by their hamlet ratepayers. Make up the shortfall from their accumulated surplus reserve accounts. Nowhere else in the RM of McKillop does this happen, not in the unorganized hamlets, the acreages, or the farm sector. This year's agreement will directly benefit three RM Councillors, none of whom declared any conflict of interest in voting to approve these agreements. Any surplus tax revenue contributed by unorganized hamlets, acreage and ag ratepayers goes into reserves that are used for machinery, gravel etc. To my knowledge, they have never been used to reduce taxes or reduce taxes to a particular group. What benefits the organized hamlets benefits no one else. This is but one example where the Municipalities Act does not work for all of McKillop. Sure, it's legal, but it is not fair. The organized hamlets control McKillop; they elect the majority of councillors and possibly the Reeve. Now they are reaping the rewards of a flawed system.
Bob Wilson is a former councillor and lifelong resident of RM McKillop #220
Printed as-is. Opinions and ideas expressed here are those of the author and do not represent those of LMT
