The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Here is the fourth and final part of The Reminder's interview with Flin Flon MLA Clarence Pettersen. **** REMINDER: As you know, most of Flin Flon city council wants to implement a tax change that would have the effect of raising taxes on low-end homes and lowering them, at least in the short term, on high-end homes. Some see this proposal as Robin Hood in reverse; others as a matter of overdue fairness. Where do you stand? PETTERSEN: I think that the current market value assessment system in most cases results in a fair and equitable distribution of taxes. However, our provincial laws allow municipalities to levy taxes differently to address concerns about property tax fairness and to raise additional municipal revenues. We have given municipalities their own authority to assess payments for services, such as user fees, permit fees, special services and local improvement levies. I want to stress that the use of these property tax tools is a local decision. Councils need to evaluate their local assessment and tax situation and determine which approaches work best for them and their property owners and citizens. The provincial government has staff to assist municipalities with these issues. The province has also played a major role in keeping property taxes low province-wide. Our government has introduced changes to property taxes since 1999 benefitting residential property owners, including increasing the Education Property Tax Credit to a maximum of $700 and eliminating the Education Support Levy on all residential property, including condos, to save homeowners more than $145 million a year. Since 2000, Manitoba has had the lowest property tax increases in Canada. Manitoba's 9.2 per cent increase is very modest, compared to the next highest increase _ 26.7 per cent in Quebec REMINDER: Much like your predecessor Gerard Jennissen, you are someone who tries to get along with everybody. Of course that's not always possible in politics. How do you deal with the nasty side of the game you're in? PETTERSEN: It is an honour to represent this constituency. I bear the burden of people's expectations gladly, and don't take it personally when people disagree with the way I do things, because that's democracy. I'm interested in everyone's viewpoint. There are tough decisions to make, every day. I believe one of my strengths is that I genuinely enjoy the people I work with and for. I also think I have a very thick skin. I love going to work every day, knowing that I'm fighting for my constituency. Is every day a love-in? No. But I love this job. REMINDER: You are two years into your term. What has surprised you the most about being MLA? PETTERSEN: I was initially surprised by the negativity of the opposition, but I guess they see that as their main job. Patience is a virtue that I need every day, as everything takes much longer to accomplish than one thinks. The hardest part is finding the time to regularly visit every part of my constituency, which I enjoy very much. We just finished a longer than normal sitting of the legislature, April to Sept. 17, and I missed out on the traveling I usually do during the summer. I hope to make up for it this fall.
