City rejects lower rate for business Jan-Christian Sorensen Contributing Writer NORTH Vancouver City council voted Monday to support an across-the-board tax rate increase of 3.9% for all municipal prop- erty classes. Council had debated the previous week whether or not to extend a helping hand to the city business sector by lowering or freezing the commercial tax rate for fiscal year 2000. That would have spelled an extra increase for both the major industrial and residen- tial sectors. For the blended average city home valued at $240,000, the move would have added $16 on top of the $33 imposed by an equal rate application. Council weighed three tay rate options: B the accepted propesal, with all) class tax rates increasing 3.9%; @ an increase of 2% fer busi- ness with a 5.1% rise in rates for major industrial and resi- dential classes; @ an increase of 3% for busi- ness with a 4.5% rise in rates for major industrial and resi- dential classes. The bulk of the overall tay rate hike — a 2.9% operating levy with another 1% ear- marked for special capital projects — is due largely to an estimated RCMP contract increase of $630,000. Several councillors have argued that applying differ- ent rates for different sectors would only serve to pit homeowners against busi- ness, Coun. Barbara Perrault, who fast week suggested council freeze rates for busi- ness, asked that council sup- port the third option. “The business climate in British Columbia is at an all- time Jow,” she said. “We're all in this together. We need te te to send a signal that this town is open for business... we aced to show the business community that council cares about them.” Coun. John Braithwaite said that if the business com- munity was concerned aboui the economic climate it should have made its voice heard during the extensive public process that led to the approval of the citv's five- year financial plan. “fT don’t remember busi- ness coming forth and asking for a reduction,” he said. “When J don’t hear someone coming out and complaining vither they’ve got no prob- tem or they don’t want to be involved.” Conversely, he said, resi- dential taxpayers made it quite clear to council at that time that a 3.9% hike was acceptable, bur that anything above that was not. He told his fellow coun- cillors to respect their wishes. “I don’t wari people to think that after they've been involved that we don’t give a damn what went on,” he said. “These are the people Van cies in highway accident ONE mani is dead and another hos- pitalized after a motor vehicle acci- dent on Highway 99 Monday morn- ing. The men were cavelling north near the Horseshoe Bay exit when their pickup truck was hit by the trailer of a flatbed truck travel- ling south on the highway. West Vancouver Police Sgt. Jim Almas said the trailer had swerved into oncoming traffic. Charges of criminal negligence causing death are pending againsr the driver of the commercial vehicle, who was not injured in the accident. The 41-year-old Vancouver man was arrested at the scene and released on a promise to appear in court May 31. The 38-year-old driver of the pick-up truck succumbed to his injuries on the way to Lions Gate Hospital. Police did not release names of those involved in the accident. —Katharine Hamer DUR NORTH SHORE ROGERS“ATST: EXPERTS FOR THE BEST DEAL IN TOWN. Dual Mode Digital phone: -@ Direct access Menu e Full size display ive US an rt thar elect us here to repre: sent them. Pm not saying that business should be ignored, bur lets keep that in mind.” Coun. Bill: Beil called opuon three a “modest switch” and said it was an excellent way to send the business community a sym- bolic gesture that the city was trying to fester a healthy business environment. “I know every penny counts but this is a small dif ference,” he said. “It is an WEST Sarr’ U sé 3.9% important: gesture that it’s not just the homeowners and renters that we care about, but small industry as well.” Coun. Craig Keating said the across-the-board htke — which would mean a $39 fat per annum increase for a business assessed at $400,060 — was amore equitable way of imposing a rate hike on the municipality. The majority of council agreed in the end, with only Perrault: voting against the equal rate increase. CITY Coun. Sarbara Perrault backed a break for business community. 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