Nixing waste rebate is unfair taxation

Regina city council’s decision not to reinstate the long-standing Waste Disposal Rebate for Condominium Owners is a blow to fair taxation and one that affects many senior citizens on fixed incomes who have chosen this form of home ownership.

Condominium owners in Regina pay taxes on their residences just like other homeowners. Unlike other homeowners, they do not receive garbage and recycling services, paying for it themselves in addition to paying for it in their taxes. For many (approximately 15) years, the city provided condo owners with a waste disposal rebate in lieu of providing the service. This helped offset the costs paid directly by condo owners. This rebate was cancelled in 2017, and again, at the city council meeting of Feb. 27 it was decided, by a narrow margin, to continue this unfair practice.

Coun. Bob Hawkins argued that condo owners’ request to reinstate the waste disposal rebate was like picking and choosing from a basket of services. I must point out that condo owners pay taxes at the same rate as other homeowners and expect to get the same level of services.

Coun. Sharron Bryce is quoted as saying: “Just because I never use a fire truck, because I’ve never had a fire in my house, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t pay for fire services.” I suggest that councillor’s analogy is flawed. In fact, condo owners were not complaining about paying taxes. The problem is that the fire truck in Coun. Bryce’s analogy (or in this case the garbage truck) doesn’t come.

To be fair to Regina’s citizens who chose this form of ownership, and who pay taxes at the same rate as every other homeowner, the city of Regina should either reinstate the waste disposal rebate or else provide the services already paid for and supplied to every other homeowner in the city. Norm Brown, president, Prescott Condominium Corp., Regina