After strong criticism of his financial record by some of his mayoral rivals, especially Patricia Mills, Brian Bigger is striking back.
He said there's been a lot of “talk, debate, spin and rhetoric” about the city's tax rate and spending over the past four years.
“I’ve seen a lot of information out there that I know just isn’t accurate,” said Mayor Bigger, in a news release.
“I wanted to provide information that is available on the City’s website, that I think shows how successful of a group myself and this Council have been in holding the taxes down and spending your dollars responsibly.”
From 2015 through 2018, residents saw an average annual property tax increase of only 2.1 per cent under Mayor Bigger, as compared to average annual property tax increases of 4.0 per cent under John Rodriguez and 3.1 per cent under Marianne Matichuk, he said.
“I’m a Certified Professional Accountant and so is our Chair of Finance and our CAO,” Bigger said. “Sudbury is on the right path financially. We’re showing strong fiscal leadership. It’s what I’ll be bringing back to Tom Davies’ once re-elected.”
Full news release is below:
Taxes and Spending – Setting the Facts Straight
October 17, 2018
SUDBURY- After much talk, debate, spin and rhetoric about the City’s tax rate and spending this administration has taken on during the last four years, Mayor Brian Bigger wanted to provide some clarity for residents.
“I’ve seen a lot of information out there that I know just isn’t accurate,” said Mayor Bigger. “I wanted to provide information that is available on the City’s website, that I think shows how successful of a group myself and this Council have been in holding the taxes down and spending your dollars responsibly.”
Below is a chart that clearly shows the current administration’s success compared to the previous two Mayor’s efforts with controlling municipal taxes.
From 2015 through 2018, residents saw an average annual property tax increase of only 2.1 percent under Mayor Bigger, as compared to average annual property tax increases of 4.0% under John Rodriguez and 3.1% under Marianne Matichuk.
When it comes to capital spending, Mayor Bigger also offered the following information from the 2018 Budget Highlights presentation.
“Our annual investments in capital works have been significantly higher during our term. We’ve re-built and fixed more roads and pipes while managing your taxes.”
All of this information is also available to all residents online.
Annual Investment in Capital
“The reality is we have a strong bench when it comes to financial planning and management at the City,” said Bigger.
“I’m a Certified Professional Accountant and so is our Chair of Finance and our CAO. Sudbury is on the right path financially. We’re showing strong fiscal leadership. It’s what I’ll be bringing back to Tom Davies’ once re-elected.”
For more information about Bigger's candidacy, visit his Sudbury.com election page.
