HomeMy WebLinkAboutX2023-035-018A R-P LY TO ice.. WANK' S LETTER
Mr, Wank's handbill will not fool those who were at our meeting at the school
and know the facts. His collection of half-truths, incorrect calculations and
insinuations that the executive dwelt on "generalizations" rather than facts is
nothing more than a clumsy effort to confuse those who were not at the meeting,
At the meeting we had all the relevant facts (,,h ich were obtained from
Pickering Twp.) written on aboard for all to see and question, and yet our
Councillor (from East Rouge criticises our method of presentations For all
his apparent dissatisfaction he did not question them, nor did he ask for more
details* '
Mr, Wank feels there were not enough "unbiased experts" around and he
doubted the qualifications of the executive. Whom would he propose as an
unbiased expert? - i1r. GOSLIN:. our Assessor?
Your executive is well qualified and informed and, more important, we
are all West Rouge homeowners. We have a Lawyer, an Accountant and 2
professional Engineers on the executive. It does not require a specialist to
find out that West gouge is taking a beating annually at the hands of Pickering Twpo
Mr, Wank draws a few red herrings across by noting that in our pictures
one chimney was stone and one was brick. Unable to see the wood for the trees,
he failed to notice that the Scarborough house had a paved road and sidewalk
adjacent thereto.
Mr. Wank should have more to do than nit pick. Our house comparison was
most carefully done. We took typical houses in all price brackets and carefully
matched them for such things as size, type, lot sizes, construction, number of
rooms, garages etc. The difference in taxes was far too high to be affected
by such things as built-in appliances. The houses chosen were representative
of the vast majority of the homes in West Rouge. Our findings were that the
average West Rouge home pays about 30% more in taxes.
The reference to County Jails was, as everyone in the hall but Mr. Wank
noted, a jocular aside, which does not detract at all from the basic issue that
West Rouge paid $50,000 last year to the County of Ontario and got practically
nothing in return. khen Mr. Wank has been a little longer on Council, he will
hear Reeve Scott complain in the very same vein that the whole of Pickering Twp.
paid 13.7 mils to the County and practically none of it was spent in our Township.
This is the very reason for current talk of making South Pickering a city - to
avoid the County Rate. We think Mr. Wank ip opposed to this idea as it smells
of "running away frcm a problem".
If we were in Metro we would have no County Rate; we would have a Metro Rate
but instead of helping to build roads in the bush it would be used for schools,
trunk sewers etc. of direct benefit to our area.
Mr. Wank doesn't know the meaning of "Geographically, Economically and
Socially we belong to Scarborough". Here is an example: -
West Rouge and Centennial are both to have sewers.
Because the Town Line is in the wrong place, West
Rouge will pay for a trunk sewer across the Highland
Creek River?
-2-.
Mr. Wank has put a couple of statistics in his handbill without saying
what they mean. According to his statistics we have only 12.9% of the population
and yet we pay 22% of the taxes. Mr. Wank seems to think this is satisfactory.
He says we pay 22% of the taxes and we have 22% of the outstanding debenture and
therefore infers that we should be satisfied. If Mr. Wank knew anything about
this business, he would have known that not all of the debenture debt is chargeable
on the tax roll, and, therefore, his comparison is ridiculous
West Rouge Debentures without Sewers are:
Water Tank & Mains $1903000 - paid not by taxes but by
Water Bills
Share of Fire Equipment $ 3,400 - paid by taxes
West Rouge Public School $3401000 - paid partly by taxes and
partly by Provincial grants
Share of High School $132,000 - paid partly by taxes and
partly by Provincial grants
$665,400
The difference in per capita debt between West Rouge and the balance of
Pickering doesn't mean anything at all. It is almost entirely due to the fact
that we have water and most of the rest of Pickering does not.
Mr. Wank has been an enthusiast for water for Roseban k - they need water,
but the pumping station, about a mile of water main, and the water tank, are
being paid for by West Rouge ONLY, and so far we haven't heard of any reduction
in our water bills or debentures by reason of this equipment being used by
Mr. Wank and his friends across the river° Surely, they must expect to
contribute something in future.
NOW, IN ANSWER TO HIS QUESTIONS -
(1) Mr. Wank wants to know if we can definitely show that our taxes will be
cut by 30%. We did that at the last meeting and if Mr. Wank had any doubts
why didn't he challenge our analysis when he had the opportunity?
(2) Not knowing about debenture procedures, our new Councillor asks the
homeowners if West Rouge is to carry its burden over and above Scarboro
taxes?
Our present debenture debt is $665,400. It will not be added to
Scarborough tax rates. The adjustment of Debentures, Assets and
Liabilities would be a function of negotiations between Pickering
and Scarborough Townships with the Ontario Municipal Board acting
as arbitrator. These procedures are all outlined in the
Municipal Act, and we suggest that Mr, Wank'gets a copy and reads it
(3) Councillor Wank wants to know with whom we discussed this amalgamation.
Our discussions were with TOP officials in the Department of Municipal
Affairs, Scarborough Township, and the Metro Planning Department. There
is no "secrecy". In fact, we are encouraged by the sympathetic
consideration and help wa are receiving from these bodies.
=In
The other questions are too nebulous to review once again as they have all been
previously outlined in the "Fairway'y.
Our Councillor has let us down badly. Instead of offering solutions - he
asks questions. He has given us misleading figures and has attempted to slow
down our program by deliberately confusing facts instead of conveying at least
ONE SOUND REASON why we should remain shackled to Pickering Township.
Our Councillor has shown in his letter that he simply does not understand
Municipal financing or Municipal affairs. It is he who needs experts and
unbiased opinions and not the West Rouge Community Association.
Mr. Wank - do your homework in future:
23rd February 1962.
THE WEST ROUGE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
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