Some North Shore residents have expressed puzzlement as to why eight West Van- . couver taxpayer associations (assisted by North Shore Chamber of Commerce and other community groups) have invited Howard Jarvis, originator of California’s famous 1978 “Proposition 13° tax-limiting con- stitutional amendment, to _Speak at a public meeting at 8 p.m., Thursday, October 8, at West Vancouver Secondary School. Certainly the intention is not to seek propery tax control thorugh initiative constitutional amendment as in California, since eveyone knows that no such legal machinery exists in the form of government we presently have in Canada. Rather, the intention is to examine critically how well the propery tax limitation California adopted in 1978, which cut propery taxes by two thirds, has actually worked. What financing and budgetary adjustments were necessary, and what is the The ratepayers of. the southern metropolitan regions of B.C. have recently experienced steeply rising property assessments, resulting in enourmous percentage increases in after-the-homeowner-grant taxes, particularly for school revenues. This is the same syndrome which hit Californians in 1975, leading to the propery tax revolt there. ; The government which assumed power in B.C. in 1972 eliminated the previous ‘requirement for local tax- payer-voter control over proposed school budgets exceeding 110% of the inflation-indexed and provincially-established Ba- sic Education Program figure. This has resulted in budget escalations to the current !129.66% level in the School District 45 (West Vancouver - Lions’ Bay), where we are now spending (above inflation) 60% more per pupil in terms of 1971 dollars than we did in 1971. Coupled with this, has been the increasing unfairness of legacy for the future there?..... the provincial... education finance formula, _ still wedded to a single province- wide mill rate, which this year resulted in = school taxation increasing by 33% in G.V.R.D. school districts while at the same time decreasing by 20% in northern and interior B.C. districts. The resulting in- creases in the G.V.R.D. and Capitol regional districts have in many _ instances exceeded ability of homeowners to pay. It has been particularly vicious in West Vancouver, where in addition to an increase of $2 million in the school budget, $400,000 more is being demanded in 1981 local school taxes than will ac- tually be spent the operating school budget! The same fate is in im- mediate store for many other southern school districts if the provincial government continues to turn a blind eye Less , to this inequity. reliance must be placed on property taxes (which are ased on inflated and highly variable paper values) and more emphasis must be Name hidden developers Dear Editor: OPEN LETTER TO COUN VANCOUVER - I am in receipt of your letter of September 14 in which you advise me of your intended brief to the GVRD seeking their assistance to expropriate my land for private park. I object in principle to being deprived of the land and cabin that I bought to be my retreat. With all the thousands of acres of parkland that already exist together with the thousands of acres that the district already owns but. has not designated as park, I fail to understand why my land should be taken from me. For all your protestations that pressure is being brought to develop our land, I am unaware of any ap- proach or any of the owners | in D.L 1123 seeking to develop the land other than our own wishes to use our property. If, in fact, there are developing agencies, we are unaware of them. If they. have approached your of- fice, would you kindly publicize their name. I for one would like to know who they are. Michelle Monteith North Vancouver MORE LETTERS : Page 8 UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT After spending mM the chermaes ineiucde LEDS Yel TRY 4 Q recat Kristiansson, your host, wears ioith has taker over easing alan het: ayer OUR AGED» PRIME RIB with stuffed potato or rice, rolls & salad bar Neg The Black Sheep. ] ORTOUS, salad roony, anextensive ment that’s priced reasoncdabit en © Corrie car) rp caricd reais « Restores oO: mye? merely f Discounts available for groups of 10-20 Mon. thru Thurs. on set menus. Phone Gus for details. BLACK SHEEP RESERVATIONS 984-9595 Our services are great 7 days a week in the restaurant that used to be a church 121 E 12th East of! wnsdale (income “taxes and taxes) for important social services such as education. And the power of the ratepayers to ensure reasonable economy through voting on by-laws enabling budgets and ex- penditures, must be restored. It is clear that the only recourse the tax-oppressed homeowners can take is by’ petition and’ by ballot: petition to restore voter control and the former 50-50 split between residential (and business) property tax sources and general $39 ine MUSLIN Zee aera eae a Solid natural pine tered woterbed rou with all the extras . see our ee rely og espec the ¢ o jeenoger CAROLI Vinyl upholstered in simuloted leather with Obett accents A beauty ond great volue toot Comes with oll the extras (see our pricing policy) All bedroom woaterbeds co no Marge 1410 Marine Dr. -North Van. ~ 986-3451 WATERBED SHEET SETS WITH PILLOW CASES Various . patterns and colours a 95 from SHEETS AND COMFORTER SETS includes comforter. bottom and top sheet and two matching pillow cases. Numerous styles. potterns and sizes available - 0 bargain at MONARCH DELUXE DACRON POLYESTER PILLOWS 95 $9 auten cacn *12 vic ence 4-piece ;. colonial pine suite Enjoy ageless classic design and solid Canadian workmanship at o price that's hard to beat. ~ includes: spacious triple dresser with dovetailed drawers, hutch mirror. two-drower night stand and your choice of 2 Neilcraft Four Poster or Bookcase Head board style waterbed. 4 poster waterbeds from $399.95 PRICE POLICY include mottress. CSA approved heater. safety liner and retainer, stondard deck and walnut finished pedestal fill kit and installation in structions plus an exclusive valve ttono: (4 02 ) every 6 months over a 2 year period at A7- Wednesday, Oct. 7, 1981 - North Shore News for to give ~ voters control over major increases in municipal spending. It is hoped that the controversy generated by bringing Howard Jarvis up to talk tax reductions will stimulate the operation of the democratic process and . help produce a_ healthy increase in informed voter participation in next month’s elections on the’ North Shore. : Paul Sykes Chairman, Combined’ Ratepayers Tax Control Committee 5448 PERCALE $99.95 PERCALE ——s - ; ry : a wh, SUPER SINGLE - contches perperso SOE rat sche | “en-the impact of ihe _coramerciat A : Spending: an Dr. “Malcolm | te-Karle - spent 3 weeks in Europe § v« during which time ha: uv Misited atab in Holland | , -tesearching mosquito | _‘cantrol and presented a, paper at the WU. of” ‘London on his insect control work A Halcyon water. woter CAPILANO. ” COLLEGE 2055 Purcell Way North Vancouver Up the Hill trom the Coach House