Editor:
Re: Utility bill to reach $915 this year, Feb. 8
Your story alerting Deltans about the looming utility increase for a singlefamily home to $915 struck a chord with me.
I moved to Delta in 2006 and paid a $594 utility bill. Over six years, utilities have increased 53 per cent. The inflation rate has increased by 9.87 per cent over the same period of time.
The last time I checked, Mayor Lois Jackson and her party have been in power over this time and have approved these increases. She has also been on or the chair of Metro Vancouver's board over much of this time and is responsible for approving water and sewer increases.
Mayor and council, these increases are out of line. How many Deltans' incomes have increased by over 50 per cent in the last six years? Not mine.
Deltans have supported fiscal conservative at the provincial and federal level for decades. Deltans successfully supported the repeal of the HST.
I consider these outrageous increases a demonstration of how removed our local policy makers are from the population they are supposed to be representing.
I invite my neighbourhoods and community to join me in demanding that our municipal finances are more prudently managed and spending reined in.
Stop continuing to reach ever deeper into our pockets and show us some respect.
To use a bully analogy: There is only so many times you can punch someone in the stomach before they fight back.
Shaugn Schwartz
