Re: Weigh in on local issues, but mind the facts, Oak Bay News, Dec. 30
The Dec. 30 Our View editorial (asking writers to “mind the facts”) questioned the facts in my letter of Dec. 25 that we Oak Bayers may be suffering another 5 per cent tax hike in 2016. Although my letter was signed, the editorial was not, so I don’t know where the criticism is coming from.
The editorial corrected my 5 per cent tax number to 4.86 per cent as an example of writers not sticking to the facts. I rounded out the number in my letter.
If city hall had issued a press release about the looming tax hike, they could have specified the exact number, but city hall was silent.
And if there is rounding to be done, please let it be our council rounding the 4.86 per cent down to 0 per cent to give us all a break from continuous tax hikes.
The editorial also stated “The budget was approved by council, not the mayor ...” as another example of how my letter was not factual. Pardon me?
In a council vote, the default vote is ‘yea.’ To abstain, the mayor or councillor must physically leave the room, otherwise their vote is counted as ‘yea’ unless they specifically vote ‘nay.’
Since the mayor did not vote against the provisional 4.86 per cent tax increase, then he voted for it. And that’s a fact.
R. Tolen
Oak Bay