By Lyonel Doherty

Oliver Chronicle

Perhaps the shock is just hitting  people now, but judging from recent letters, some aren’t too thrilled about the nine per cent tax increase in Oliver.

Town council says it’s necessary, adding it would be remiss if it didn’t start preparing for extra policing costs (once the community surpasses 5,000 population).

But the way they went about it has caused some confusion, prompting statements like “tax grab” and “dishonest.”

We have to admit that when council first introduced the increase, our understanding was it was going straight to policing costs (Oliver will be on the hook for 70 per cent instead of 30 per cent). But then it was mentioned the increase would be used for capital projects, such as roads and sidewalks.

Call us dumb, but how is this increase going to pay for extra policing costs when it will be used for capital projects?

Budgets have a strange way of confusing people. But it all depends how you word it.

Let’s try to wrap our heads around it again.

Councillor Dave Mattes was kind enough to stop in and try to explain it better.

Council had three options, one of which was doing nothing in preparing for these policing costs. That would not sit well with taxpayers who would be facing a $500,000 hit (to pay the 70 per cent for policing) all at once. The other option, which council chose, was a nine per cent (per year) increase over five years. Instead of putting this in a reserve, it has chosen to spend it (every year) on public works projects (sidewalks and roads).

But how are you going to pay the police bill when you spend the increase on capital projects? That’s the $500,000 question.

Mattes assured the Chronicle that the money would be there. Enough said.

“We’re not saving for policing,” he said, noting they are trying to get people used to paying for the extra costs in five years.

What council is doing is building up capacity.

At the end of the five years, the nine per cent will no longer be spent on public works, but rather policing.

Got it? Umm . . but . . . Don’t ask; it’s a budget thing so you’re not supposed to understand it. But it would have made more sense if council said half of the tax increase would be used for capital projects and the other half for a policing reserve. End of story. No confusion.