An Anonymous Letter To the Property Taxpayers Alliance from a long time Cambridge Resident – very sad

“I became too frustrated here in Cambridge and have sold our home to move my family outside of the Waterloo region. It was the crime, addiction, encampments, overspending and property tax hikes that drove us out of Cambridge.

Our numerous requests for Ward 4 Councillor Ross Earnshaw to hold a community discussion meeting for his residents, to provide his support for our Mayor in her efforts in removing encampments while offering rehab instead of drug injection, were all ignored and I was actually told it was “above his paygrade so he’s leaving it to our Mayor to address”. All while his fellow Councillors dove into these issues, held meetings with their ward residents and even invited special guest speakers to address community concerns.

Some of Cambridge Councillors are actually working with the community to find ways to improve the safety and affordability of Cambridge. They place emphasis on what property taxpayers and local businesses are asking for, rather than their own beliefs or desires.

I’ve had property stolen and damaged, been threatened at Soper Park, awoken in the middle of the night to someone screaming and banging on my door. I’ve witnessed fires and fights with axes at an encampment and have been unable to enter a downtown business because their door was blocked by a drug addict passed out. Cambridge residents and tourists are forced to witness people having intercourse outside of the Cambridge Shelter Corporation – The Bridges downtown. The garbage that piles up around the Bridges is how we welcome tourists to Cambridge. It’s no longer the town I feel safe living in or one that I believe has City Staff and Council properly managing my property tax dollars.

I want to thank you [the Property Taxpayers Alliance] for your ongoing support. It’s been encouraging and great to see you in the media rallying awareness around the property tax increases and overspending.

Hopefully there are still residents willing to fight the good fight and willing to stand up in public to request that Council do something now to address the crime, addiction, encampments, property tax increases that are running rampant through Cambridge. It’s a beautiful town with great architecture that is sadly being overrun by criminal activity and ever growing property tax hikes. Something’s gotta give. This time it was a long time resident.