Dear Editor
My wife and I moved to North Battleford in July 2007. I was a tradesperson in Alberta for almost 35 years (pipe fitter and journeyman welder) working in the oil and gas industry. As a result of a work related accident I became disabled and can no longer work.
We moved here because our daughter and grandchildren lived here and we were told housing prices and utilities were reasonable. We sold our house in Calgary, we lived next to Nose Hill, had a corner lot and a breathtaking view of Country Hills for miles and miles. We had a flat rate for water and our taxes were only $1,400 a year for our house and property. When we came here to check out North Battleford before we moved here everything was fairly reasonably priced.
One year later we moved here. We then found out house prices were $20,000 to $30,000 more than the previous year because speculators were spreading the word around that the oil and gas sector was going to explode in North Battleford. I know the oil and gas sector, having worked in it for 35 years. It is six years later and I still have not seen it happen. Some people made a nice profit and I wonder who.
Sometime this past winter when notices came out that property taxes were going to increase slightly I called and inquired at City Hall. I was assured the increase would be no more than $9 a month. I received the increase in the mail this past week. It is a $33 per month increase that translates into $1,600 over four years compared to what I was promised.
I called City Hall and the person I spoke to could not explain the reason for the increase or justify it. He asked me if he could call back once he figured out what was going on. Almost an hour later he called back, gave me a story about how they had made a mistake on the first estimate they had given me. Nine dollars a month I could live with, so I did not dispute this and took their word on it.
When I questioned this I was given an Oscar worthy explanation of why it had jumped to $33 a month. I explained how a person can't even go downtown because of the conditions and behaviour that goes on there. I told him how this city doesn't even have a decent movie theatre for a less expensive evening out. We all know who the new complex caters to. He could not justify to me why the increase in property taxes and still can't.
We were lied to and given a BS explanation why it had happened. If the powers that be want this city to grow and attract new people to stay here and live here and new people to come here, city council has to start thinking about all their citizens, not just the upper class. The City has to stop gouging and lying to everyday citizens, give us a fair shake and stop ripping us off.
Steven McLean, Genessa White
North Battleford
