Candidate Questions - Mike Simpkins
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1. In 2023 for several reasons a secondary audit was requested of SAMA. SAMA declined this request. Currently the city and council have chosen to do nothing in regard to this issue. What are you prepared to do?
I would think the taxpayers would like to know why this request was denied. I do wonder if SAMA is taking the blame for mistakes that were made by the current council.It may be prudent to form a committee to look into why the assessments were done the way they were, and if anyone on the current council benefited in any way. I do not believe it's in the best interest of the taxpayers to renew the contract with SAMA at the end of 2025. Our property tax/assessment department for both residential and business should be brought back into city hall.
2. Saskatoon has a governance committee which oversees their property tax assessment department, and theirs far exceeds ours. Are you prepared to implement the changes needed in order to mirror/reflect theirs? Or something better?
When the new council is formed, we will be researching different tax structures in other municipalities. That being said, we will not be limited to doing just what others are doing; we will also look for ideas regarding taxation with suggestions from the council members and citizens. With such an important issue like taxation, I believe the citizens need to be informed and involved. We need to present our ideas, and leave time for citizens to provide feedback so that no concepts are overlooked, ensuring that we have the best possible program for our taxpayers.
3. In your words what does a Moose Jaw citizen say when they're asked what do you think of Moose Jaw?
Some citizens recognize the great potential of this city. Many people talk about how great the city was and want to go back to the friendly city rather than the notorious city. Others characterize Moose Jaw by its poor infrastructure, its increasing crime rate, the lack of transparency in city hall and the apparent lack of regard for our citizens by our elected officials. I believe with a complete change in council, we can turn that all around.
If you are elected what will the citizens be saying in four years?
Moose Jaw will be the city with the small-town feel; we will become the friendly city again. Instead of complaining,the citizens will be excited about all the positive changes. It will be the place where people will want to visit, relocate, stay, and start a business. And for those who have left, it will become the place they want to come back to.
4. Right now, there is a lot of talk about a proposed hotel on the 0 block of River St. W. Rumours which include the potential building of a parkade by the city in the area. The question is as an elected official how much money if any are you prepared to spend either directly or indirectly in an effort to see the proposed hotel development get off the ground?
The first thing we have to do is follow the money. Who owns the land? Who are the hotel owners? What investment are they contributing? What is the financial benefit for our citizens? What would we have to charge for parking in order to recoup the investment made in building the parkade? Will the citizens be willing to pay that?
I want to see River St. developed, but I don't think MooseJaw citizens want to pay for it. If parking is an issue downtown, why not look at more efficient ways of increasing parking rather than expecting the taxpayers to cover the cost of building a parkade. Most importantly I think we need to have input from the citizens in regard to a project like this, especially considering we have major infrastructure projects that need to be dealt with like the Crescent View Lift Station and Fourth Avenue bridge.
5. Are you in favor of more or less funding by the way of levies? Or do you favor finding more funding by the way of tax increases?
Personally, I think the taxpayers are tired of tax increases without seeing improvements in their services, and of course the levees are dry. 😊 I am in favor of using levies only when necessary for large infrastructure needs/projects. Before considering any tax increases, the budget needs to be scrutinized to find all inefficiencies. With the right team of new councillors, we can make enough changes in the day-to-day operations of our city to save substantially on our budget.
When implemented properly and with cooperation from city management, we will be able to use the budgetary savings to expedite the completion of current projects and/or save for future projects. Taxpayers should not always be on the hook with tax increases when the funds that are allotted to departments can be administered more efficiently.
6. In your own words what is the most important infrastructure projection that needs to be completed?
We need to complete the Infrastructure Renewal Program which, under its new name, includes sidewalks and road renewal. The Crescent View lift station ($66 million) and 4thAve. bridge ($22 million) have to be addressed.
Where or how would you locate funding for this project?
The funding is already in place for the Infrastructure Renewal Program. Regarding the lift station, the city has been turned down on government grants. Even with a favorable decision from an arbitrator requiring CPKC topay for half of the bridge repairs, without government help, the citizens of Moose Jaw will have to come up with $77,000,000!!! Therefore, it will take a strong leader to negotiate with all levels of government to ensure that they are contributing. Ask anyone in Moose Jaw: “Would you rather flush your toilet, get across the bridge or have a parkade downtown?” I'm thinking common sense will prevail. 7. Affordability is a major concern for many residents. Are you prepared yes or no to strive to make Moose Jaw more affordable? Can you briefly explain how you would accomplish this?
Yes, if elected I will strive to make Moose Jaw more affordable. One of the ways this could be done would be to increase our current Housing Incentives Policy cap of $125,000. This refers to the cap for the entire program. I would like to increase it so that more people could realize its benefit.
We also have tax incentives for eligible properties, applying to infill lots/condemned building lots. Moose Jaw has a number of older homes needing structural intervention before they become condemned and therefore non-taxable. I would like to look at adopting a program similar to the cast iron program, where the city helps to finance structural repairs, with the homeowners able to defer the cost over a period of years. This would help to keep people in their homes while at the same time ensuring the city revenue through their property taxes.