Good evening. My name is Katie Kortekaas and I’d like to thank the CDCD – the organizers of this evening’s debate for the opportunity to present my views.
I’d like to thank all the people who turned out tonight. I’m here to ask you for your vote.
And here’s why.
What’s missing in Ajax
I say this as a wife, mother, grandmother and a resident of Ward 1 for the last 26 years.
The financial cost to our families, because of our quiet acceptance of tax increases year after year, are affecting our ability to meet our families’ daily needs.
You folks are like my family, and like any family facing major financial decisions, the time has come to do something about our mutual problem. Its FAMILY CONFERENCE TIME!
Taxes are up 2.5% this year. Add this to the 10% tax rise during the last four years!
Utility costs are up over 11%, food and transportation and other services cost more, but our salaries haven’t caught up to those increases.
So, what’s wrong with targeting a zero percent tax increase?
We need financial leadership!
Our tax dollars are stretched to the limit yet our town is in debt.
Our Town’s long-term development plan has been laid out for us by our last council and it looks toward going even further in debt to build more facilities, incurring more operating costs.
What’s wrong with this picture?
The recession started two years ago. Jobs have been lost and many households have been reduced to single incomes.
The Town’s lost revenues have not been offset by new sources of business, commercial, industrial, tourism or other non-residential tax sources.
Like any reasonable family approaching a spending decision, we stop and take a look at what’s in the bank and what our obligations are.
We assess money-in and money-out before we take on more obligations.
For example, when you get your VISA bill, you know exactly what you’ve spent your money on. When you get your TAX BILL, you’re not sure if you got value for your money!
After a 30-year career in public finance positions, and in particular, as a gatekeeper and watchdog on public spending, I know that right now, we need to open the books to eliminate waste, inefficiencies and duplication of spending.
We need to cut back our operating costs, and reconsider our future spending.
Our Town is fully prepared to build yet another facility instead of considering and using existing facilities which have already been paid for out of our taxes – our magnificent schools.
Our schools are rich in space and facilities. They sit in the middle of our neighbourhoods and are largely underused after school hours, on weekends and during the summer.
Our tax dollars have paid for them and we continue to pay utilities for them year round.
What better place to use for our own community recreation and meeting spaces – especially for our youth and seniors. Can you think of a better place to get to know your neighbours?
We simply can’t afford to keep spending and not use what we have!
Our families’ lives are directly affected by our incomes – and no one has the money to throw at the duplication of expenses.
Our tax dollars MUST be used more efficiently. Looking at paring down operating expenses is a reasonable place to start.
Multi-purpose use of ALL public buildings is essential. Let’s start thinking outside the box. The world has changed and so have we.
Making better use of schools and other public facilities in my view, is a first step toward municipal financial rationalization and I challenge other communities in Ontario Canada
People who know me know I have a reputation for getting results.
So, if you’re with me – that taxation and spending need to be reigned in to protect our families – I want your vote.
Thank you.
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