Before you shed a tear over the eye-watering 5.64 per cent municipal tax hike proposed by the city, my hockey experience may help you understand the dynamics at play.
Rewind to the late 1990s. I have a team in the Yk Rec Hockey League and I want that team to play in the Hay River Rec Hockey Tournament. It’s the age of land lines and I phone my best player who isn’t at home right now, but that’s fine, I just lay out my plan with Mrs. H. who I am sure has no problems giving hubby a weekend off.
Whoops. Not long after, I get a call back from my stud defenceman, who gives me a bit of helpful advice: “If you’re calling and it has anything to do with hockey, speak to me, not the wife. If you tell her, it’s not going to work. But if you tell me, I can usually present it to her in such a way that she will let me go.” Understood.
It’s somewhat reminiscent of the 1980s screaming matches when that trial balloon now known as the GST was first floated. We were promised a revenue-neutral tax to replace the FST. The rate would be nine per cent. Few people knew at the time that the FST even existed, or that the rate had been four, then five and finally six per cent when it was finally retired.
History buffs will note that the balloon landed somewhat gracefully, surviving countless attempts to shoot it down, and the initial rate was seven per cent, which somehow was supposed to mean that we were two per cent better off than we rightfully deserved to be.
The upshot for local property owners is that you are going to get punched in the face with a tax increase, but you can think of 5.64 per cent as two punches to the face, and that’s not going to happen so cheer up (a little hockey metaphor).
But that’s no reason to leave town, which I fear could be happening after noticing that attendance on various WIMPS nights has some unsettling similarities to Carolina Hurricanes home games. It’s a great time to play WIMPS hockey and it’s not possible to shore up our numbers with offshore instruments.
WIMPS is Yellowknife’s adult shinny hockey league, funded by fees paid by our participants with their after-tax dollars. WIMPS have always fully complied with all legal requirements, including with respect to taxes. The WIMPS family has always conducted themselves in accordance with the highest legal and ethical standards.
WIMPS will not make any further comment. All inquiries should be referred to our legal counsel of Williams, Breadmore & Greig.
Go ahead, give it your best shot.