A listener of my Inside Politics podcast sent me a note this week that cuts to the core of a growing frustration. Jack from North Kildonan told me his property assessment jumped nearly 19 percent. His point was straightforward. If assessments rise that sharply, the city should lower the mill rate so homeowners are not hit with what amounts to a tax increase dressed up as something else. He is not wrong. When assessments climb and the mill rate stays the same, the city collect

Mayor Scott Gillingham’s latest attempt to address encampments is weak, late, and clearly tied to his re-election campaign. For more than...