Wingham Free Press and some of its correspondents continue to rant about Wingham being shunned by potential home buyers and the dearth of businesses willing to come here.
Our taxes are fairly high here, and all members of council agree with this. To reduce taxes some programs and services would need to be cut back. The problem is identifying those services that the population as a whole are willing to give up. The key phrase there is "population as a whole".
In the Citizen Survey that was conducted late last year, we learned that while there are many people hoping for reduced tax rates in all wards, there are many who want services and programs increased, and many who say that they moved to Wingham because of the services offered.
The vast majority of people responding on the survey approve strongly of nearly all of the services offered by North Huron. This includes some of the areas that some WFP correspondents want to cut.
While there may be some who stay away because of the tax rate, the present status is actually attracting people. One of the attractions is the low initial cost of the housing. Low assessment base is the result of that, and that also contributes to higher taxes.
Reducing taxes is not an easy process.
There are some very positive signs for future growth and when they occur, the tax rate could be modified considerably
I believe that the trash talk of WFP contribute more to driving people away than high taxes.
Brock Vodden
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