8 - Friday, November 18, 1988 — North Shore News NVD mayor clarifies tax increase figures Dear Editor: An open letter to me from Bar- bara Wuhrer regarding taxes re- quires a response as it indicates that your writer is misinformed and her concerns need to be allayed. The average residential tax in- creases in North Vancouver District were 4.6 per cent in 1987 and 4.7 per cent in 1988 — not the double digit figures quoted by Mrs. Wuhrer. Our municipality continues our record of having one of the lowest municipal tax rates/ charges in the Greater Vancouver region and 1 can foresee little change to that in 1989. In an attempt to explain the relationship between property assessments and property taxes, our director of finance appeared on Shaw Cable along with the B.C. Assessment Authority’s area assessor. The intent was to aiert homeowners to the 1989/90 shift within the residential tax base due to varied assessment increases across the district. It was also to defuse any alarm that the overall average 23 per cent property assessment increase would automatically result in huge tax increases in 1989. Your writer states “‘it is not ap- propriate for taxes to increase simply because market values have risen.”’ That is true. The 1989 tax rate will be adjusted downward to offset the impact of these assess- ment increases. Furthermore, as the Wuhrer’s 1989 assessment is marginally lower than the average overall in- crease, they will pay a lesser por- tion of the 1989 tax levy than paid in 1988. Your municipal staff and coun- cil are very aware of the problems we face in balancing the 1989 budget with a tax rate and levy we taxpayers can afford. We must keep your taxes under tight control while providing ser- vices required and recognizing the differences in our residents’ ability to pay -— no matter what the fig- ure on the assessment notice. I am committed to that end. Marilyn Baker, Mayor North Vancouver District ELECT RICHARD R. BUCHOLS FOR ALDERMAN SERVING THE DISTRICT OF NORTH VANCOUVER § AS A MEMBER OF: ~ Advisory Planning Commission — Housing Issues Task Foxce ~— Centennial Scholarship Committee — Chamber of Commerce A certified general accountant, who is married and has two young children. Rick has lived in North Vancouver for 34 years. MAILBOX MP CHUCK COOK RESPONDS Health programs ‘safe’ Dear Editor: I want to thank Mr. L. Whiting for inviting me to prove that health and social programs will not be af- fected by the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). He suggests in his letter that thousands of people in North Vancouver are waiting for my answer. | can only hope that this is indeed the case. The FTA with the U.S.A. is a coramercial docu- ment which sets rules for how trade will be conducted between our nations. The FTA recognizes the princi- ple law that health and social programs cannot be considered a trade subsidy when they are universally available to all citizens of a country. This principle is also accepted by GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) which has been signed by 93 nations. The U.S. will have no more cause to complain about Canada’s medicare than Portugal has to demand that Sweden change its social policies. I will simply close with the comment of Chris Thomas, a professor of international law at UBC. According to Dr. Thomas any law student who pres- ented the arguments of John Turner and Ed Broad- bent against the FTA would flunk his exams. Mr. Whiting, I'm committed to the FTA because a strong economy provides the resources to give better care to the Canadians I serve. Chuck Cook, MP North Vancouver-Burnaby MARY COLLINS For continued responsible government on Monday, November 21 par PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE CAPILANO-HOWE SOUND COLLINS, Authorized by Hugh S. McCali, Official Agent tor Mary Coltins NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT CITIZENS FOR GCOD GOVERNMENT VOTE NOVEMBER 19TH ae praca, 1.ay ¢ Graduate North Van High. 1950, Univ. of BC. 1956, BSc. Pharm. * 32 years of business experience ¢ As your Alderman since 1982. has. -served on Advisory Planning Com- mission, District Library Board. GVRD Parks Committee, City and District Joint Transit Committee, Chairman of Eme:gency Measures Organizaion - Chairman North Shore Union Board of Health, 3 years - Listens to your concems. and acts positively and responsibiy aonieme 1X1 a ee & aX * North Voricouver pene tesident — 25 years «University Graduate with 25 years management experience in economics, marketing and corporate planning © 21 years of volunteer community service * Alderman for 8 years «Caring and conscientious about the direction of our dynamic community. Stands for logical liveable land use planning and controlled growth and densities pms st —- Resident of North Vancouver for 34 years — Active in the social, business and political aspects of the community — Experienced in community issues and concerms -— Committed to preserving the character and quality of iife on the North Shore eee LECT jetane, craig _| X! - nesrneP erty the District of Mth Vancouver since 1971. — 5 years as your Alderman — Commissioner for the North Van couver Recreation Commission — Chairman for the Aquatic Ex- pansion of Karen Magnussen — TV host Cable 4 TV. MLA & MP reports — GV.RD. Labour Relations Board Altemate ~~ Chaimman of the Tratfic and Satety Committee —Chaimnan of Lynn Valley Youth Advisory Committee RECOMMEND for ALDERMEN VOTE NOVEMBER 19TH — Alderman Lawyer — Lawyer practising in North Vancouver — Resident of North Vancouver for eleven years — As Alderman served on the Ad- visory Planning Commission, Trattic and Safety Committee and Emergency Program Committee -— Member of North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce — Member of the Housing Issues Task Force