City Council's Major Mistake
On Tuesday, Vancouver City Council approved a 7% property tax hike which is the largest of any B.C. municipality and the biggest increase Vancouver has seen in at least a decade.
In a troubling display of fiscal incompetence, Mayor & Council failed to deliver efficient, effective, and affordable government to its residents. Notably, on the same day Vancouver’s Council approved a 7% tax hike for 2020, Toronto’s Council approved an 8% hike over six years.
Vancouver’s outsized tax increase was a direct result of action taken by a coalition of Greens (Adrienne Carr, Michael Wiebe, and Pete Fry), COPE (Jean Swanson), OneCity (Christine Boyle), and the Mayor.
Unfortunately, the coalition held in the face of a sizeable groundswell of public opposition to the budget proposal. In a stinging rebuke of Council, former NPA Mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe commented, “Let the record show: this council stood firm in the face of widespread hostility, and for that we should acknowledge and remember its unique talent”.
Worse still, the headline number doesn’t illustrate the full story of fiscal incompetence at City Hall. Municipal reporter Frances Bula reported the hike would have been 9% were it not for additional parking revenues.
Moving forward into 2020, STEPUP will continue advocating for homeowners, economic freedom, and prosperity in British Columbia. This means we'll be encouraging Council to refocus on delivering efficient, effective, and affordable government to residents.
We can’t do this without your help, please encourage a friend to become a supporter and if you are able consider making a donation.
Thank you again for all that you do,
STEPUP