It was a not-so-friendly meet and greet session for Mayor John Gray as he was bombarded with questions regarding high taxes at a recent meeting.
While other councillors were on-hand to help fuel questions, of the 20 residents gathered at Johnny’s Eatery, most wanted the mayor to give them answers.
And what was the theme that resonated throughout the restaurant? High property taxes.
It is quite apparent the issue of high taxes is something that needs to be addressed.
This is the second meeting put on by the Oshawa Ratepayers Association where residents spoke passionately about high taxes.
They want to know why plain and simple.
Some even told Mayor Gray they were thinking about moving out of the city to get out of paying thousands a year in property taxes. One man even brought in comparables of other areas, and based on a $250,000 home was paying 4,275 in Oshawa compared to $2,550 in Markham and $2,575 in Toronto.
Yes, it’s clear the mayor is usually the most focal figure when it comes to politics in the city, but this time he was a target.
What was supposed to be a friendly event turned into a venting session for residents and rightly so. As taxpayers they have a right to speak out.
You have to give kudos to Mayor Gray for answering each and every question. It’s just too bad no one liked his answers.
And both sides have merit. For years Oshawa residents have been asking why they have to pay such high taxes while other areas don’t.
To Mayor Gray the answer comes down to places in Oshawa that are still low in terms of property values. That drives everyone else up, he says.
He continues to stress that things are going to get better.
But residents aren’t buying it and with a budget around the corner and a municipal election on the horizon it is hard to say what the future holds and just what it means for homeowners in this city.