Petition
Get "Back to Basics" City Budget
VANCOUVER HAS HIGHEST SINGLE-FAMILY PROPERTY TAXES IN CANADA & SECOND HIGHEST ANNUAL TAX INCREASE
Property Taxpayers Want Back To Basics Municipal Budget 
- Vancouver home and business owners paid the second highest annual percentage property tax increase—at 7%—in Canada to prop up ballooning budgets for non-core services.
- Dr. Andrey Pavlov, SFU’s Professor of Finance & Real Estate, reviewed major Canadian cities’ property tax increases that fund typical civic budget services. "Vancouver homeowners face the second highest annual increase in property taxes in Canada, on top of already sky-high levels. Vancouver single-family home owners, for instance, pay the highest property tax in Canada, ahead of Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, or Victoria
- All cities have similar obligations to provide traditional civic services, so why is Vancouver’s 7% annual property tax increase nearly triple the inflation rate or most people’s wage increases?
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Paul Sullivan, Property Tax expert and managing partner BCS Real Estate, believes: “the City of Vancouver has ignored basic civic services like removing street garbage, repairing streets, mowing boulevard grass or even snow removal when we needed it last winter. Vancouver strays well outside their lane, fighting pipelines and funding dubious harm reduction programs that credible health experts have found ineffective. The city spent millions on office renovations and high-end furniture during the pandemic when so many people are working from home.”
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Even former Vancouver Mayor and NDP Premier Mike Harcourt has been critical. “The property tax was designed to pay for basic municipal services like police & fire protection, sewer, water, garbage pickup, streets, sidewalks & lighting, parks & recreation, & libraries. It’s not designed for the billions needed to finance affordable housing, transportation infrastructure, post-secondary skills training, & education.”
- The Vancouver Sun reported the population of the City grew by only 10% over the decade while City staffing costs increased by about 21%. Meanwhile, governments use residential and business property owners as bank machines, forcing many beloved local businesses to close, like the Dover Arms and Three Vets.
Please sign our petition for a #backtobasicsbudget. Scroll down if on a mobile device.
To view our media release, please click here. Chinese version here.
Infographic by Alex Gonzalez, Oaxaca Studio. Photo from Freepik.