I read with interest the letter to the editor from Marshall Horner that appeared in the January 25 Champion entitled 'Town not to blame for tax hike.'

Balderdash. Contrary to what Horner wrote, Milton council -- and only Milton council -- is responsible for approving a 6.6 percent tax increase this year.

While I'm disappointed with the Region of Halton these days, the Region had nothing to do with it.

Whoever misled Horner on this and the mountain of other misinformation that appeared in his missive should be ashamed of themselves.

What I found particularly odious was the notion that had previous councils routinely approved annual budgets of at least 4.5 percent, a 6.6 percent budget this year wouldn't have been necessary.

Had that happened, we would have one of the highest residential property tax rates in the GTA, and one of the lowest rates of job-creating industrial development. Few could afford to live or invest here.

When I left council in November 2006, the Town's financial position was among the strongest of any municipality in Canada. It still is.

Budget-setting is a delicate dance. This council needs to establish realistic funding priorities quickly -- and implement them. Its embarrassing performance during the 2008 deliberations confirms there is no consensus on where to spend.

Council got off on the wrong foot early in 2007, which led to the position it finds itself in today.

The 20 per cent pay hike it voted itself, the unnecessary parking lot expenditure at Milton Fair Grounds and an over-zealous investment in public transit all figure in the tax increase we're experiencing today.

In closing, I thought long and hard before writing this letter because I no longer have much taste for publicly correcting individuals or members of council who clearly demonstrate they don't understand municipal finance. I also still enjoy a number of friendships around the council table.

That said, I will gladly sit down with Horner, any other taxpayer in Milton or any member of council to review the 2008 budget and past budgets to show how council got here -- and how it can get out without further fiscally harassing new homeowners, seniors and others on fixed incomes and those who create jobs in this community, like our hard-hit manufacturers.

JOHN CHALLINOR II, GOWLAND CRESCENT