Ok this is a bitch about the fact that in Dartmouth we have our sidewalks cleared for us by the city (note: Dartmouth also has lower property taxes) but everyone across the harbor who pay a lot more in property taxes have to clear their walks. What is up with that? Here’s another little tidbit of facts on the issue…the city has 72 count em 72 hours to clear the sidewalks…but if it snows again and they haven’t cleared a thing…the clock goes back to 72 hours; but in Halifax people have 24 hours to clear their walks or be subjected to fines (as high as $200) as well as personal liability claims. Sooo pay more property taxes and get less civic service…make sense to you? Apparently our mayor thinks so…I wonder if Bedford gets the same free sidewalk clearance treatment?
This article appears in Jan 3-9, 2008.
Correct me if I am mistaken isn’t property tax the same for the whole municipality @ 1.5%
Christopher — the city doesn’t clear the sidewalks on Ochterloney Street or Queen Street (my route to the ferry terminal every morning) — no one seems to, actually. I do know, however, that the city does clear the sidewalks on the Flower streets which makes absolutely no sense to me.Anyway, I am going to crack my head open on my way to work one of these days unless someone salts those sidewalks soon.
Sarah you may be right in the actual percentage, but in the end houses over there (HFX peninsula) are more expensive and the end result is a considerably larger property tax input from each household on the peninsula.
Christopher, so therefore if YOU choose to live in Halifax and YOU choose to pay more for your home, therefore it was YOUR choice to recieve the shit end of the stick in civil service?And for that matter residents in Halifax don’t give much of a woe either. I have seen elderly walking on busy streets because they cannot walk on the unshovled sidewalk.Granted it is the City’s problem but I think your bitch is more suitable to unresponsible home owners… Just a thought.
Actually I would say it is about irresponsible snow removal in general and also specifically the disparity between what a homeowner has to pay and the services provided…the disparity between various boroughs of HRM…because it’s supposed to be ALL ONE CITY therefore having THE SAME SERVICES OFFERED TO EVERY HOMEOWNER. Your choice of living in Dartmouth or downtown Halifax should not change what services the CITY provides…especially when as you pointed out, everyone pays the same percentage on property tax (with more tax dollars being garnered from Peninsula Halifax than from the rest combined). Now you may be misunderstanding another pertinent fact…I live in Dartmouth where the sidewalk clearing is done by the city (in most areas) so I am not whining about not getting it…just that we all should.
What makes you think that the Peninsula brings in more property tax dollars than the rest of HRM combined? And in any case, even if each property is worth more and therefore owners pay more property tax, does that mean that people with more money, who live in fancier houses should be given priority over someone like me who lives in Dartmouth and pays (relatively) low taxes on my condo? A slippery slope, Mister!
No it does not mean they deserve more…where in my post does it even come close to implying that, god you people are ridiculous! It means that if you pay the same property tax percentage you should get the SAME SERVICES!!! Over 50% of the homes on the peninsula are in the 500k range so that 1.5% is going to generate a considerable amount of revenue…and then you have the downtown strip of land between the harbor and Citadel Hill. for which they pay alot more than the 1.5% quoted by Sarah above.Jennifer you apparently have trouble fully reading what a poster submits…or you would have noted that I live in DARTMOUTH too and actually walk the same route to the ferry no less. I never mentioned or even came close to suggesting that rich people deserve more attention because they pay more. What I said was, and i will put this as simply as I possibly can…Same Taxes should equal Same Services or it is discrimination on some level or just outright fraud and government complicity.
Christopher,What u are not getting is property tax is 1.5%. REGARDLESS of where you live in Halifax/Dartmouth or Ecum Secum. Property tax is set by the Municipality of the County in which you live in. Hants County it’s only .5%. The only reason you pay more is because the price of your home costs more. They don’t up the tax amount for the South End, it’s still 1.5 % If you are the smuck that lives in the bigger house it’s your own fault you are paying more and then not recieving your services.Why should the city shovel YOUR sidewalk? Don’t you think snow removal on the road its important, because they suck (for better lack of a word) at that too!!!!I think it should be the homeowners responsibilty (which I thought the bylaw was correct me if wrong) to remove the snow from the sidewalks in front of their property. I understand your point about the snow removal which is why I sided with you on it. Do your homework tho first before getting upset when someone has their own opion.
Property tax rates are not the same in all of HRM:Halifax $1.347 per $100 of assessment valueDartmouth $1.337 per $100 of assessment valueUrban core $1.295 per $100 of assessment valueSuburban $1.156 per $100 of assessment valueRural $1.150 per $100 of assessment value
I think the point we should really be making here is that the sidewalks, and streets need to be cleared! Even if it is still snowing, or raining, people are walking/driving in Dartmouth and Halifax the next morning. Most of us don’t get snow days, so we’re out in it, and most if it is not plowed, or salted. My street is currently still covered in ice, a car trying to get up the hill last night had no choice but to turn around and go the other direction because the street is so slippery. Yet I see sidewalks in Dartmouth that people hardly ever walk on are completely plowed. I think alot of this comes down to who owns the property. Personally I believe that the city should make sure that areas with heavy traffic (walking and driving) are cleared before the morning rush. That means downtown on both sides of the harbour, and main street sidewalks, including bus routes, no matter who owns that property. And it shouldn’t matter what we are paying in property taxes especially since so many of us are living on one side but working/walking/driving on the other.
Thank you for the actual cost breakdown Informant! So Dartmouth (who receive snow removal) does pay less even if it is still such small difference as to be negligible. But the real point is that we are all in the same Municipality and should be getting the same services. It would be just as bad or offensive if they provided snow removal for the south end (hfx) and not the the north end (hfx)…is everybody getting it? You can’t bring all of these towns and cities under one municipality and not provide the same level of services, it’s just plain offensive and possibly on some level or degree taxation fraud. Say you have medicare for only the west coast…but everyone pays the same taxes per the level of income they earn (which is how we are taxed on income) wouldn’t you think that was unfair and possibly counter to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
Christopher, with respect — get a clue.The snow clearing in Dartmouth and elsewhere is paid for by means of an area rate on tax bills. In case you don’t know — and I assume you don’t — that is an additional charge on those properties getting the service. There is no “free” municipal snow removal.
Keith,So you are saying they pay more than the normal tax scheme in place as noted above in Informants post?As Reference:Property tax rates are not the same in all of HRM:Halifax $1.347 per $100 of assessment valueDartmouth $1.337 per $100 of assessment valueUrban core $1.295 per $100 of assessment valueSuburban $1.156 per $100 of assessment valueRural $1.150 per $100 of assessment valueInteresting, then why don’t people in Halifax do this as well? I am curious about this new information you have provided, not sending a retort to your post Keith.
An area rate has nothing to do with tax rates. It is a charge calculated like a tax bill but is an entirely separate charge based on what the service costs. Some places (typically rural) charge an area rate for fire protection, another for garbage pickup, etc., on top of the basic tax rate so that areas that receive more services pay more. In Dartmouth the municipality has done snow removal for years and it was carried over after amalgamation with an area rate applied to Dartmouth properties. It’s a relative bargain, probably less than $100 a year for most residential properties. Why doesn’t Halifax do it? I would expect the investment in the equipment required would be pricey. But I really can’t say why.
I’m trying to understand why the standards are different on *this* side of the bridge. My street’s sidewalks are plowed after every snowfall.
Look, we didn’t want to be associated with Dartmouth in the first place so suck it up.
Hi – Two corrections on this whole thing.First property tax is broken into 2 rates – area and general. General is based on rural, suburban etc – area rate however takes into account things like if you or the city do the sidewalks. People that do their own sidewalk shoveling pay less area tax, and thus less tax.Secondly HRM has 72 hours for certain sidewalks, but most are done before that if they are on a bus route, downtown core, school route, etc. Look at http://www.halifax.ca for this info.