Next year the people of Halifax will be asked to perform their civic duty by going to the polls and electing a mayor and council. We are a group of concerned citizens with a common interest. We believe the people of Halifax deserve a mayor and council that will stand in our corner.
Mayor Mike Savage, along with a group of councillors voted this year to approve an exclusive tax cut for Irving Shipbuilding Inc., while at the same time, approving a property tax increase for ratepayers across the Halifax region.
We believe raising taxes to pay for an Irving tax break is unacceptable. The people of Halifax deserve a mayor with a track record of holding the line on taxes.
For that reason, we support the candidacy of Peter Kelly for mayor.
We also support an effort to replace every councillor that voted in favour of the Irving tax break.
In 2011, the federal government awarded Irving Shipbuilding a $25-billion contract to build 21 combat ships.
The following year, the province of Nova Scotia announced it would provide Irving with $304 million in loans, including up to $260 million in a forgivable loan for shipyard upgrades, and an additional $44-million repayable loan for human resources, technology and industrial development in marine shipbuilding.
Last year, Irving paid the city of Halifax about $1.6 million in property taxes. With the new deal supported by Mayor Savage and council – that number has been slashed - with Halifax ratepayers now on the hook to cover a retroactive $1 million refund to Irving.
In May of 2015, Mayor Mike Savage, along with a majority of council voted in favour of an exclusive tax break for Irving that will see the city retroactively refund Irving $997,340 to reflect what their assessment would have been if such an arrangement had been in place during 2014-15.
“This is a good deal for the city. That’s all I care about,” Mayor Mike Savage said outside city hall chambers on May 12.
We disagree. Please join our effort to elect a mayor and council that will hold the line on taxes and vote against tax breaks for wealthy business owners.
Councillors Jennifer Watts, Stephen Adams, Brad Johns, and Matt Whitman all voted against the deal.