Time for a rational debate about taxes.
The time to be concerned about the Park Board not having enough money to cut the grass is when the budget goes to Council. Where was NPA Park Board commissioner Ian Robertson when on December 2, 2010, Vancouver City Council held a special meeting on the budget? Not at City Hall.
What Vancouver needs is a responsible public discussion about a rational tax policy based on evidence and not on emotional rhetoric.
In a report from KPMG that evaluated 41 global cities stated that Vancouver has the lowest business tax rate of the cities studied. KPMG report
In 2006 A commission was created by NPA Mayor Sam Sullivan and with the NPA majority on council and paid for by Vancouver taxpayers to address a “perceived inequity” and establish a “fair” tax rate.
The Property Tax Review Commission, despite not finding any evidence that the business taxes where too high made the recommendations of a 5 years shift of 1% tax shift from business to residents per year should be made by the City of Vancouver to address the “perception” of business that it pays too much taxes.
The consequents of the NPA initiative of a ‘tax shift” has had the effect of limiting the City’s ability to adequately fund the Park Board and the important services that Vancouver citizens support their taxes dollars being spent on.
COPE Councilors and Park Board Commissioners have consistently opposed the tax shift and as a community organizer, I have been at Council speaking many times to oppose this tax policy.
Dec. 2, 2010 presentation to Council
2008 presentation to Council