FRIDAY
March o1, 1995

ith

news

Mi Weekly Real Estate
section: 45 — 84

@ Provengal farmhouse
given facelift: 15

auto

& Nissan Sentra gets
major redesign: 34

&] Listings for new and
used cars: 35

a8 Classifieds... 37
@ Crossword................40
{i inside Stories............75
WM Insights... 6
Hf Lautens. 8
iN. Shore Alert............

ES) +1) 5 ¢: ne C2
i Tide Charts..............42
TV Listings................26

The News !ooks at the
performance of North
Vancouver City Council.

NEW LOCATION
Park Royal North
Outside between

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Scribble scra

Crown
BC RAIL may soon be paying the
municipal piper under a Victoria

proposal to have the orovincial
Crown corpeuration pay grants in tieu
of property taxes.

By lan Noble
News Reporter

As a Crown corporation, North Vancouver-
based BC Rail is now exempt from paying
property taxes to municipalities.

Unlike other Crown corporations such as
B.C. Ferries and B.C. Hydro, BC Rail does
not pay grants in licu to municipalities.

Unaudited statements show BC Rail had a
net income of $40 million in 1994,

But that could change in 1996. said
Municipal Affairs Minister Darlene Marzari
in a press release March 28,

Marzari said discussions with the Union ef
British Columbia Municipatities concerning
grants in lieu are under way.

“We look forward te working with the
communities to produce an acceptable pro-
gram that recognizes the fiscal position of the

eh VANCOUVE

Saturday: Cloudy with sunny
periods, High 12°C, fow 4°C.

‘a

NEWS photo Paul McGrath

NORTH VANCOUVER City Coun. Stella Jo Dean stands in front of a B.C. Hydro
kiosk in Lower Lonsdale bearing graffiti that she warns is spreading throughout the
city at an alarming rate. Her anti-graffiti motion seeks to stop it. See story page 3.

provincial government and local authorities,
BC Rail and its subsidiaries.” she said.

But West Vancouver-Garibaldi indepen-
dent MLA David Mitchell said grants in lieu
are the least BC Rail should pay.

He wants BC Rail privatized. so it would
pay full property taxes — property taxes he
estimates at $268,860.69 for West Vancouver,
$279,216.43 for North Vancouver District and
$20,286.24 for Lions Bay.

The diversified conglomerate composed of
BC Rail, BCR Properties, Westel
Communications and Vancouver Wharves can
easily afford its full share of property taxes,
he said.

He wants a transitional grants in lieu pro-
gram for the Crown firm beginning this year
so municipalities along the BC Rail line
receive recognition that they are owed money.

Whistler Mayor Ted Nebbeling said under
the existing B.C. Assessment Authority utili-
lies classification, BC Rail would owe $6.5
million in property tax to municipalities.

Whistler's share would be $329,000, he
said.

However, he expects BC Rail to ask to be
reclassified to a commercial classification,

corp property tax exemption questioned

which Nebbeling said would chop the bill
owed by two-thirds,

He said BC Rail way have a case for
reclassification, which he hopes the UBCM
supports.

“The sooner we can sete this whole issue
the better it will be.“ he said.

Repeated UBCM initiatives over the years
to get BC Rai} te pay have fallen on deaf ears,
said Nebbeling.

He added some municipalities may seek
prime BC Rail Jand in Neu of grants during
proposed discussions.

BC Rait communications officer Hilary
Thompson said that from the point of view of
the corporation’s financial personnel, the
grants in lieu issue is just now coming under
discussion.

North Vancouver City Mayor Jack Loucks
said the Crown corporation pays a grant in
Hew of property taxes on its head office on
West Esplanade.

He added the city requested the grant when
the head office was built. The grant, he said,
is “pretty close” to the amount that would be
paid in property taxes.

“It’s a good healthy sum,” Loucks said.