There’s a lot of talk about about Mayor Kilger’s plans for development fees. These are fees that contractors have to pay for land development and use; usually in the industrial park. Many communities have these, but as of now our city does not.
This itself is an incentive to attract industry; but to date the problem is that we seem to only be attracting distribution chains like SCN and Target which predominately create low paying jobs and eat up valuable swaths of land which as many will tell you is a finite resource.
There’s a lot of talk about vision in this election and I will share mine on this issue.
I believe that having Development fees can actually be an attraction if we use them correctly.
I would like to see discussion about tying DVs to jobs. The higher the average wage and more total dollars a company would bring to the community the less DV’s they would pay or be credited for.
So instead of the negative marketing potential of development fees we would shift to the positive one of discounting them for jobs. As many major companies are used to paying these fees this could be a huge advantage.
Another issue that’s been a long time contentious issue is our high end city workers living outside our borders to save a few shekels like our current police Chief Dan Parkinson who lives over on Yacht Blvd, with many other well esteemed Cornwall folk who actually live in Glen Walter (South Glengarry) instead of in our zone of taxation.
Again, with a lack of vision Mayor Kilger at the Labour Council debate said that if the city tried to force workers to live in Cornwall it wouldn’t be legal and again he’s right; but simply lacking vision.
We are in the process, for the sake of argument, about to hire a new HR manager. Instead of offering new hires the full monty what if we offered a smidge less with a tax credit available to all new hires who lived within the city?
That would be totally legal.
There’s this false perception that negatively paints our city that our average incomes are lower. They are and they aren’t. You have a small city with enough people living in South Stormont and South Glengarry and the area that it artificially skewers the numbers.
We need vision and action. If we could gradually shift those many city managers (Norm Levac, our leaving CAO also didn’t live in Cornwall nor did his predecessor Paul Fitzpatrick) to Cornwall this would improve our housing prices and improve our city metrics.
On October 27th if you want this kind of vision and solutions you have one clear choice. Vote Jamie Gilcig for Mayor of Cornwall Ontario.
You can email an e interac donation to jamie@cornwallfreenews.com
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Good points Jamie and…
The number of employees (managers, and senior officials among them) who live outside the city speaks volumes about Cornwall’s shortcomings; even the mayor is a best a part-time resident (until that gal, like all the rest, kicks him to the couch).
Something needs to be done to encourage them to join the folks that pay their wages… either that or we need to scoop up Glen Walter and Long Sault, and get some of our tax money back.
Those communities thrive because of the amenities we pay for and it’s time to pay.
Jamie we made friends with a man that used to work at Domtar and he too moved out of Cornwall into a small community on the outskirts. He had terrible times living in Cornwall just like the hell that we went through. If we lived in Cornwall we would have to own – nothing worth renting. We would not live inside of Cornwall but in the boonies as well. We want peace and quiet and that doesn’t exist in Cornwall and we don’t have to live with the rich and greedy but quiet. Cornwall lacks a lot of the proper housing for tenants as well and we sure experienced that. Where I live in Ottawa it is heaven compared to what we went through in Cornwall and I think that is the reason why you see so many living outside. My nephew who lives just outside of Ottawa in Greely and used to live in Ottawa itself and works for the City of Ottawa. So many do live outside of Ottawa – have you tried to live here you would sympathize. LOL LOL. I am bushed and will go to bed soon and just thought that I would drop in after my stints on the buses with my daughter. I am getting old for sure. Jamie people can live where they want to but I think that an amalgamation is needed very soon. Other town and cities in Ontario and Canada have done that and everyone is going to have to pull together to survive for what is coming. I am into this all the time. Just now I am bushed and turning in to bed. Goodnight all.
I agree on development fees….I was surprised when I moved here and found out the city did not charge development fees. If the city wants to lower the tax rate and / or raise tax income development fees is one good way to go.
As for offering a small tax credit to city employees living in the city I don’t know if that’s the way to go. Any value gained from development fees may be lost with a tax credit to city employees living in the city. Would the tax credit be offered to all city employees or just higher ups or new hirees? I see a problem if it’s just offered to higher ups and / or new hirees. I think having city employees live outside the city is fine. Not everyone is attracted to living in Cornwall. Would a small tax credit change their mind? I seriously doubt it would. I think a lot of times they find the house they want and it isn’t in Cornwall. Some people like living in a city or town, some others prefer to live where they have more land or a different dynamic.
Those that are suggesting amalgamation are going to have to face reality —– it isn’t going to happen. And if it were to happen which towns / municipalities would Cornwall amalgamate with? The only municipalities close enough are South Stormont, South Glengarry or St. Andrews West. And amalgamation has never proved to be beneficial. Sure tax revenue would go up, but so would the need for city services (extending city water and sewers, fire & police services, etc).
Yes when you amalgamate the tax base would rise for sure. Ottawa sure has learned that lesson. The city became quite bit compared to what it used to be and yes more stress on cops, fire, paramedics, etc. Nepean was debt free and had the best mayor going and was on the job for 20 years. Ben Franklin was his name. When Ottawa amalgamated with Kanata, Nepean, Orleans, etc. Kanata brought the most debts with them. Taxes went through the roof. A woman that my daughter and I met owns an historical house in the Glebe and her taxes are like my yearly rent. We were in such shock to hear what she pays – her and her husband and she works two jobs as well as her husband’s two jobs to make a go of it and those are high paying jobs. No wonder there is so much For Sale and For Rent signs around. I have noticed people expanding their homes to have their children live there with them because everything is beyond reach. Some are sharing expenses like two of my daughter’s co-workers (mother and daughter) and the daughter and her husband and young son are living with the parents in a garden home that they purchased. It is unaffordable these days. My little hovel costs like a mortgage and taxes, etc. A neighbor below found a row house in the northeast part of the city at a bargain and she moved.
Jules, that’s one reason I say amalgamation would not work for Cornwall. Yes, the tax base would increase, but at the same time so would the demand for city services (water / sewer, police / fire, etc.). I would say Cornwall should never look at amalgamating with other municipalities
Hugger you are right on my dear man. Ottawa does not have enough roads to go around for all the people and it was bad enough in past years but nowadays it shortens ones life with all the traffic congestion and accidents and yes the upkeep of the roads, the sewers, water, cops, fire, paramedics and the list just grows. Taxes would go through the roof and the cost of your assessment would be unaffordable. Jamie keep the housing low and taxes low if you do get in as mayor. Come to Ottawa and see the insane drivers and I am not using the word “insane” lightly. The stress of life is something else – like living in Montréal and such cities.