jan proposes
9% tax hike
for N. Van City

Anna-Louise Pentland
Contributing Writer

IF your taxes go up,
don’t say you never had
a chance to do anything
about it.

Few North Vancouver Ci
residents showed up on Mond
night fer the public question
period for the city’s proposed
five-year plan. Those who did
had ‘nothing good to say about

irector of Finance

i¢ unveiled his pro-

var financial plan at
the meeting, but it has yet to be
approved by council.

A proposed $2.6 million rev-
enue increase for 2000 is based
on a 1% capital levy and a 2.9%
operating levy. For an average
homeowner, the 3.9% tax
increase amounts to about $34
per year.

The “special” capital levy

would rise 1% for the next five
years under this plan. Some of
the major projects prope
Bi ist Street Plaza ($2.4 millic in),
& the library ($500,000),
Centennial Theatre
($230,000);
Lonsdale recreation centre
($379,000);
BB risk mitigation on Low Level
Road ($775,000);
@ parks/environment. projects
($915,000);
§8 acnial ladder fire truck (S14

ion);

M financial and licence systems
($1 million);
Harbourside and Loutet over-
passes ($300,000);
& vehicle replacement (approxi-
mately $3.8 million).

On the operating expendi-
ture side, the majority of the
increase is attributed to higher
costs associated with the RCMP
contract and new equipment
requirements. The estimated
impact on the city is $630,000,
equivalent to a 2.5% tax rate
increase.

The rest of the increase is for
new CUPE and firefighter con-
tracts, and new requests from
community agencies and
boards.

The most outspoken critic
from the public was John
Edwards, a 37-year city resident.
He said he couldn't afford more
taxes. He also said people don’t
want to exchange some of the
proposed improvements for
increased taxes.

“A fot of this stuff is not
affordable,” he said.

Edwards, whe is not part of
any organized group, said the
average working person doesn’t

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have time for committees.

“In the Last LO) years or so,
school boards and councils have
become more political and less
cominunity-service oriented,”
he said. “Maybe council’s paying,
too much attention to the orga-
nized groups and not enc augh: te
the unorganized groups.”

Edwards asked chat the
finance committee come up
with a budget that would
decrease taxes by 3%,

“A tor of this sult doesn’t

should; it’s 3

Edwards

subsequent budgets, taxpay
ould be able to approve any
incres

The current plan presents
few options to council, looking,
only at the anpacts of 3.4% and
4.4% tax increases.

Monday night’s meeting
provided council members with
their fisse chance to publicly
question the plan

Coun. Bill Bell asked to have
user fees considered, based on
the results of the recent Angus
Reid community survey

The proposed budget was
prepared prior to the results of
the community survey, which
found that most city residents
would rather see user fees or cuts
to service rather than tax incre.
es. That opinion was less clear
when people were asked about
increasing taxes a specific
amount. More people said they
would support a small tax
increase.

Even with the proposed
3.9% increase, city residents still
have one of the lightest tax bur-
dens in the Greater Vancouver
region.

Businesses classified
“major industry” don’t fare
quite as well.

Members of the public will
have their next chance to com-
ment on the proposed budget
plan at next Monday night's
council! meeting. The’ financial
plan and tax rate bylaws are
scheduled to be finalized on

April 3.

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