Concerned Owen Sound Taxpayers Endorse Candidates for Tax Reform

The advocacy group Concerned Owen Sound Taxpayers (COST) is endorsing candidates in the Owen Sound municipal election who commit to reducing high taxes and challenging the city's status quo. Led by Bill Stobbe and Jim Hutton, the non-partisan group is publishing candidate responses to help voters evaluate six mayoral and 21 councillor candidates.

COST proposes 11 solutions to address city spending, including a two-year tax freeze, zero-based budgeting, and a five-year plan to reduce taxes by 2% annually. The group also advocates for a zero-tolerance policy regarding public intoxication and illegal camping, while urging the city to align with Grey County's housing first philosophy to address homelessness.

Conflict has emerged over the city's financial reporting. Bill Stobbe claimed the city manager's budget tripled since 2018, a figure City Treasurer Kate Allan disputed. Allan stated the budget remained stable and that reported increases were the result of changes in organizational structure and how staffing costs are reported rather than an actual tripling of costs.