Dear Editor,
Upon receipt of my property tax notice, an information pamphlet was inserted.
The pamphlet showed the typical breakdown of a property tax bill, a pie diagram indicating the distribution of our tax dollars.
Fifty-one per cent of our taxes goes towards the municipality, which does show the breakdowns.
The residents would appreciate if the City of Richmond would open its books, to be accountable to the very people who pay for the elected officials.
Thirty-eight per cent of our taxes goes towards School (Province of B.C.). Of this 38 per cent, a portion will fund private schools. Parents who send their children to private schools, which they pay for, is a choice they make. Should extra funding be granted to private schools? I think not.
Eight per cent of our taxes goes towards TransLink, which wants more money from taxpayers. TransLink really needs to clean house internally. Mismanagement of the entire board needs to be dealt with. More money is not the solution.
Three per cent of our taxes goes towards “other.”
What and who is “other?” Anyone care to explain what this is in detail? Three per cent may not sound like much, but in these times where inflation is increasing by the second, it’s a lot of money. After all, we are the taxpayers!
Cathy Ma
Richmond
