The recent holding of a Pontiac Business Forum two weeks ago and MRC cultural policy consultations last week revealed just how fruitful a consultation process can be. Not only did the two events give a chance for citizens to bring their ideas to decision-makers, but they allowed for a crucial exchange of perspectives that all too often doesn’t happen.
Decision-makers are often isolated from the reality on the ground for the people they govern, while the public often does not have an appreciation of the day-to-day realities and constraints faced by decision-makers. Through consultations and public forums, both sides have the ability to better understand each other, gain new perspectives and work forward to solutions that benefit us all.
The issue of taxation brought up in a business forum held two weeks ago is illustrative of this, where a discussion of “the welcome” tax and tax breaks in general dominated a large part of the conversation.
Disputes over taxes are as old as government itself. Who owes what, who should owe what, who sets the taxes, who benefits and who loses are all questions that will and should always be asked. Businesses and residents can’t be taxed to death or there would be no economic activity, yet without taxes we would not have the public infrastructure that makes the economic activity viable in the first place.
How to balance ensuring that businesses can function in the first place with the real and expensive demands of a constrained municipal budget in an economically depressed area is a very hard balance to strike.
For example is it worth it to give a business break in the hope of generating future economic activity at the expense of meeting public service demands today? Is it even legal for municipalities to lift a tax mandated by the province? What would be the immediate consequences for roadwork or water service maintenance if businesses were given significant breaks on paying their share of collective maintenance?
Regardless of the answer to these questions, hashing them out in a public and democratic manner is obviously the cleanest way of working them and others like them out. Through open discussion and deliberation, the least-worst option for everyone can ideally be selected. Only through mutual understanding and buy-in can policies truly be effective, which is best achieved by a transparent and democratic process.
And more often than not, proposals that truly move forward solutions can take their shape in a public meeting. For example, during the conflict over taxes, the warden pointed out that the MRC should be pushing toward sources of revenue that go beyond taxation. In the Pontiac’s case, this stream would come in the form of publicly-owned electricity generation in the form of either a solar farm and/or a waste-to-energy plant. This alternative revenue source would give the MRC and subsequently municipalities the fiscal space to actually lower taxes without sacrificing their ability to deliver critical functions. Solutions like these are truly win-win and give people a cause to unite behind.
The only way we can confront some of the most intractable economic challenges facing us is if we all work together, as there are too many moving parts and contingencies for anyone business owner or politician to pull off real progress by themselves.
Putting our heads together, listening and moving forward is the right way to go. More public forums, meetings and consultations should be encouraged. And once they are held, the public should make an effort to turn out and participate.
Brett Thoms
