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A group of residents living north of the Kenora bypass have expressed concerns to those running for council this fall.
Spokesperson Richard Cone of the Black Sturgeon Lake Property Owner’s Association says they have welcomed those running for council to a couple of sessions recently, where residents were able to question candidates on their concerns.
Residents north of the bypass are hoping for parity and equity when it comes to municipal taxes and services compared to urban residents.
“There’s a number of areas that we don’t get the same level of service even though councillors have historically said that everyone within the city gets the same services, it’s really just not true,” says Cone.
Cone’s circumstances are certainly not unique for a resident outside of urban Kenora.
“A good one would be fire protection. Where my wife and I live, we’re about 25 kilometers from the fire hall. It’s a 30-35 minute drive, let alone response time. As a result, we’re paying $1,500.00 a year more in our house insurance than others would be and yet we’re paying the city taxes to cover that fire protection that we don’t get. The same thing is true for public transit, garbage collection, road standards, even sewer and water. There’s capital costs that we have to put in for our water and sewer systems and get no contribution there, whereas the city does get other public grants and so forth,” he explained.
Residents are paying for these services in their annual taxes, but in many cases are not receiving all of them. They are hoping the city will implement a variable tax rate based on availability of services in specific areas.
“There’s a commitment I think from particularly a number of newer candidates, that they recognize this is an issue. Some of the people that have been on council for some time have pushed back on that. Two in particular, but I think the issue’s raised to a higher level and we’re hoping with some change on council and mayor that the message is finally going to get through,” said Cone.
Ultimately, the hope is that Kenora’s new mayor and council adopt a variable tax rate formula currently in effect for rural Thunder Bay and Hamilton residents.
The municipal election is Monday, October 24, 2022,