lorth Van City tax hike set at 3.9%

Provincial
grant cuts
add to cosis

Liam Lahey
Contributing Writer

NORTH Vancouver
City residents face a
3.9% tax hike this year.

City council voted 6-1 in
favour of the municipal tax
increase in an effort to main-
tain’ the existing
municipal services and enable
new programs.

Terry Christie, the city’s
director of finance, presented
the 1999 capital budget on
March 15. Christie told coun-
cil the provinge’s significant
funding cuts played a key fae-
tor in the tax increase.

level oof

hy North Vancouver, those
cuts amounted to $556,000,
equivalent to a 2.5% increase
in taxation, The city’s 14%
increase raised the municipal
tax hike to 3.9%,

A single-fainily househatd
will be asked te pay out an
additional S38) per year, or
about $3 per month, by the
city’s July 1 deadline.

Of the 3.9% increase, a 1%
levy is being set aside to fund
capital maintenance of the
citw’s infrastructure, a move
made by councils determina:
tion not to allow provincial

cutbacks co result in neglect of

the recreation centres, roads,
parks and other facilities for
which the city is responsible.

The remaining 2.9% will
fund items including a 1%
employee wage increase, con-
tinued support tor adult cross-
ing guards in the city, and
additional = funding for

Recreation Conimission pre
yrams such as the B.C. Gimtes
tor Athletes with a Disability
being held here this summer.

North Vancouver City still
boasts the lowest fav rate of all
the municipalities in the
Lower Mainland.

With the tas hike, the city
can recover $356,000) the
B.C. government would fase
supplicd sia the provincial
grant.

Said Coun. Barbara
Perrault, “its a situation
where senior levels of govern:
meat are downloading and
dumping on us ... (the munic-
ipal increase) is akin ta one
Sarge cafe fatte or two loaves
of bread per month.”

The 1999 capital budget
calls for $9.7 million in expen-
ditures. Major projects funded
are the First Street Civic
Plaza, city library renovations,
Centennial Theatre renova-

Mayor blasts Kwan’s comments

From pane \

Bell said the district’ will
itemize the provincial down-
loading on this year’s tax
notice — a tactic recommend:
ed by the Union of Breish
Columbian Municipalities
(UBCM).

Municipal Affairs Minister
Jenny Kwan publically criti-
cized the district's budget

. Tuesday. In a statement
reported in the Vancouver Sun
she said:

“It’s unfortunate that the
local government has decided
they will simply pass on any
shortfall in’ provincial grant
dollars to the taxpayers.

“Some other municipalities
have committed to nor doing
that, and looked for other ways
to to reduce their operating

budgets.”

Labelling her view “distort-
ed” and her suggestions “seli-
serving and ignorant,” Mayor
Hon Beil shot back:

“Her (Kwan's) criticism of
the district’s budget is like get-
gag a lecture from the captain
of the Titanic on how to sail
around icebergs.

“What's not reflected in the
budget is the $2.4 million
(representing a potential tur-
ther rax increase of 6%) in
reductions to our bottom line
we have already made in order
to keep the tax increase to
5.4%,

“In focal government we
try ta steer clear of icchergs
and make sure that we have
enough lifeboats on board, just
in case. This appears to be
something the provincial gov-

ernment, drowning in red ink,
can’t seem to fathom.

“It's going to be awfully
cold in the water come provin-
cial election time. T hope the
minister and her colleagues in
cabinet have life jackets.”

Council stopped short of
initiating a recall campaign
against che provincial govern-
ment at the municipal level but
did pass a non-contidence
motion that was forwarded to
the UBCM.

The budget barely passed
second and third reading as
Couns. Glenys Deering-Robb
and Trevor ‘Carolan. insisted
More cuts to services should
have been made, while Coun.
Ernie Crist continued to
oppose the previously agreed
transter of land sale money to
pay for road reconstruction.

earthstone Communities cordially invites Seniors from the

North and West Vancouver areas to join us for an afternoon
discussion regarding the planning and development of a unique
service-oriented condominium for Seniors. Representatives from
Hearthstone will be seeking your opinions and advice on housing
design, amenity space, services, price and location. This information
will be used for the planning of a Seniors' condominium on the
historic Mollie Nye property in Lynn Valley. If you are a Senior
living in this area, your input is important to us - please join us if

you Cah.

Date:

Time:
Registration:
Remarks:

Monday, March 29, 1999
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m.

1:30 p.m.

Guest Speaker, Debra MacArthur,

Vice-President of Hearthstone Communities

Where:

Lynn Valley Recreation Centre

3590 Mountain Highway,
North Vancouver

Hons, the development of 4
new field ar Sunrise Park with
aoreserve established to set
aside funding for an artificial
turf eld, a 9,000 sq. ft. addi-
tion to city hall, the signing of
the 1999 Jointd Use
Agreemeat with the North
Vancouver School District,
increased waterfront access for
residents at the Versatile
Shipyards site and the devel-
opment of a) Harbourside
Business Park.

Atypical single-family
home valued at $240,674 in
1999 will pay $798 in city
taxes, S494 in utilities
(includes waiter, sewage, soud
waste removal and recycling)
for a total tay bill of $1,292.

Said Coun. Bob Fearnley,
the Jone councillor ta vote
against the hike, "E know 3.9%
docsit sound like much, but
we have to consider it adds to

the amount of tay all levels of

government impose.” he
argued. “We're past the point
where the Canadian taxpayer
can oabsorb this (a tax
increase)”.

Based on a 1998 tax-utili-
ties comparison, North Van
City’s tax rate of S125] (in
1998) was far lower than
North Van District, ($1,692)
and West Van ($2,551). The
averaze municipal tax-utility
rate for B.C. in 1998 was
$1,344.

Meanwhile in West

Vancouver municipal manag:
er Doug Allan presented his
provisional budger to West
Vancouver council in
November, Residents could
find themselves facing a 1.9%
municipal tay inerease in
1999, if Allan’s provisional
figures hold.

New capital: expenditures
Were predicted to top $23
million. Ino January, West
Vancouver councillors lam-
basted the NDP government's
unilateral decision to cut over
$570,000. dollars from West
Vancouver's provincial grant.

A provisional budget was
approved earlier this vear. The
final budget will be approved
in May.

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Whose Heart’s in the
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As part of National Volunteer Week, North Shore Community
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These awards are given to worthy volunteers on the North ‘Shore
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Anyone can nominate a North Shore resident who volunteers,
and whom they would like to thank for their contribution that
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of The North Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale Ave., N. Vancouver
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