RE: “Council approves $60K pay ‘top-up,’” article, Dec. 6. Dear Editor, Mayor Brown and City council are once again passing the buck to property owners, with a $60,000 “top-up” to their formerly tax-free salaries – paid in part by a property tax increase of 8.47 per cent. If the City was truly thinking about the voters, City hall would instead tax businesses like other cities and municipalities across the country do. But that would mean taxing the Shoppers Drug Marts in the city, and Walmart, and Propak and other big and medium-sized businesses, which is utterly against the conservative business-as-religion altar that City council seems to worship at. That would mean several councillors would then also have to pay taxes on their businesses. Funny, how that works. That would also mean property owners could be getting proportionally lower taxes as the businesses take up the slack, which would be normal in any other city and town in Canada. The way City hall is doing things now means businesses use the same roads, the same water systems and other infrastructure amenities, but do not have to pay their fair share in upkeep for those things. Mayor Brown also stated to Airdrie City View there was “no net pay increase at all.” I doubt that very much. If they earn a part-time salary for being on City council, as they say they are, and are taxed what they should be on that extra salary, their net taxes would probably not amount to the full $10,000 per year. I would guess it would be closer to $7,000 – giving them a total pay increase of around $3,000. If I am wrong, let the mayor and councillors prove it. Wouldn’t it be nice, though, if everyone could give themselves raises when their taxes go up? I would then ask the province and Canada Pension Plan to give me an extra 8.47 per cent, to cover the increase on my property taxes. Only Councillor Kolson got it right, when she said it would be nice if every employee had the ability to raise their incomes to offset increased taxes. She is getting my vote next time around, just based on that alone. Ron Roffel Silver Creek
