T’WAS JUST AFTER CHRISTMAS (THE SEQUEL)

By: Gerald “Longfellow” Bones

T’was just after Christmas in Georgina town,

And Council’s big spending was getting us down.

With seven on council, it seems there’s but two,

Who responsibly vote while the rest go askew.

Those two are aware of the high taxes we bear,

Well the others are not and don’t seem to care.

Just too many projects, though many are nice,

But the problem of course is paying the price.

No industrial tax base is the reason they say

That explains why our taxes are up and away.

Georgina is growing over 8% more

Since 2011 have moved to our shore.

The part that’s amazing and as yet unexplained,

Is the 30% increase in employees retained?

We had hoped that the visit from Jolly St.Nick

Could maybe give council a bit of a kick,

And maybe have blessed them with some common sense

That they might better respect our tax dollars and cents.

Our escalating taxes are clearly insane!

We’re on a beer budget, can’t afford champagne!

It’s too easy to bump huge debt down the road

And leave us in future to carry that load.

The MURC costs will strike with the sting of a viper

In progressive tax hikes to pay off the piper.

Nobody knows just what to expect

In the operating costs to run this project.

Now a Streetscaping grant seemed really quite neat,

Purchased LED lights to brighten our streets.

As a plus they’d consume so much less power

For a significant saving in kilowatt hours.

Imagine a Christmas with the poles all a twinkle,

Yet the concept was doomed, by a failure to thinkle.

Lo’ the poles were not rigged for LED lights.

They required rewiring to brighten our nights.

But for just 30 or 60 or 90 thou more,

Electricians were commissioned to start on that chore.

Town coffers flew open with a resounding “ KER-CHING,”

All lights will be working sometime BEFORE SPRING.

Yet another white elephant has migrated north,

Of course I’m referring to the Mossington Wharf.

Yes we even got paid to take that turkey on,

And the Feds are still laughing TO SEE THAT IT’S GONE.

After fifty thou paid to check out that deal,

Consultants found quickly it had no appeal.

The timbers are rotting and in need of repair,

All plans to rebuild are to say the least quite austere.

Three million bucks wouldn’t make the plan viable,

And it needs to be fenced lest the town becomes liable.

When Santa arrived he became quite distraught

At the gloom from the budget that council had brought.

The new rate of taxation was causing much pain,

A damned heavy hit that’s hard to sustain.

Perhaps some new wisdom our council should get

To spend within it’s means not accumulate debt.

Then Santa exclaimed, “They best get this right!

This Council’s in trouble it’s lacking foresight.

So in the New Year they should adopt a new goal,

Clean up their act or in their stockings it’s coal!”

In one final message in an act of defiance,

He renamed his reindeer to hasten compliance.

“Now MURCee, Now TaxGrab,

Now PayMore and RateSpike,

On Consultant, On Spendthrift,

On Wasteful and DebtHike.

Then quick as a flash he flew over the Roc,

Shouting, “Lets get back to basics and get out of hock!”