Time for a new mayor in Charlottetown

This article was last updated on May 20, 2022

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Thanks Clifford for 24 years and 7 as Mayor but its time for new blood
 
Clifford Lee promotes himself as “Proven Leadership” but after 24 years on the job, how many good, new ideas does he have?
The only logical choice is Philip Brown. He has the intelligence for the job and many of the councilors are returning to provide continuity.
All across Canada, mayor’s are getting tossed as citizens demand new, fresh and better approaches to the issues of city living. For Clifford Lee, it’s simply thanks but we want someone new.
The only logical choice is Philip Brown. He has the intelligence for the job and many of the councilors are returning to provide continuity.
Taxpayers in Charlottetown are facing higher taxes, rising city debt loads and the possibility they will not be able to afford their homes when they retire.
When Clifford Lee was elected Mayor the debt service charges, what it takes to pay the interest, were $3 million a year. They climbed to $5 million in 2010.
Everyone knows taxes have climbed since then, despite freezes. 
Moncton NB residents, on the other hand, recently got a tax reduction. That has not happened in Charlottetown.
 
 
Mayor Lee is bragging he got a bargain in infrastructure money- $52 million of capital improvements for only $22 million of taxpayers money.

Some bargain. We are now $22 million more in debt. That’s the exact total debt of the City in 2002 when Clifford was elected mayor.
The debt service charges after this year’s spending binge will probably be $8 to $9 million. That’s got to come from higher taxes or reduced services.
And all that infrastructure increases maintenance costs. New buildings must be insured at higher costs.
What is the total capital debt of Charlottetown? The financial statements don’t say. How bad is it if they don’t want us to know.
Under Clifford’s guidance we saw annual losses at the CARI pool escalate, the transit system is spending out of control and Tourism Charlottetown is on a money losing binge.
Water taxes are up $140 annually. We now pay for garbage collection that was free. Remember when City Works helped with the Spring and Fall clean up. Those were the days.
Charlottetown will soon be a place that you can’t afford to live in. Taxes are unavoidable but municipal politicians who want to spend us into a hole in the ground can make them worse.
Time for Clifford to move on and someone new to direct the city.

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network
 

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