resi lents. face”

“WE ARE not trying to run.out and spend every. last.
‘nickel this community has,’’ North Vancouver District
Mayor Murray Dykeman said Monday. night.:

Dykeman, was commenting on
North Vancouver District’s $55
million 1993 provisional budget,
which will likely raise the
: municipality's tax levy by 6.25%.-

District. finance director. Mike
_ Hoskin told the News that the in-
. crease would cost a resident with a
home assessed at $275,000 an ad-
ditional $65 in 1993.

District residents will also be
paying a $38 increase on their
water and sewer utilities.

The Municipal Act requires that

“council adopt’a provisional budget
_by Jan. 18.

The interim budget is the basis:

“for detailed, discussions: between
Staff and council: in, establishing
‘the final 1993 operating budget
; prior to mid-May.

Council has already met = with
" staff to establish goals and objec-
tives for 1993, revenue and expen-
diture levels,’ |

Those, goals included maintain-..
ing 1992 service levels and limiting ™

"the tax levy increase to the level of
inflation. ;

' Preliminary studies showed that
$2 ‘million in cost cuts. would be

needed : to limit the district ‘tax. in-°

crease to the current inflation rate
‘of 3.8%.

y ,But' council decided. that service
levels would be drastically affected

and, chose instead: a tax levy in-

“crease of. 6.25%, which. will re-
quire only $1. mrillion in reduc-'
tions,

: Hoskin said. the ‘decision pro- ;
vided’: “the: best compromise : be-’

tween the two objectives: the. min-

imum. ‘service. level. cuts with. the :
‘minimum tax burden passed on to.

taxpayer.” *
“Dykeman described. the: budge
numbers as : realistic” nd:

fe

1992;

By Martin Millerchip
Contributing Writer

result of a co-operative approach
between staff and council.”’.

The district is- projecting in-
creased operating costs of 4.9%,
for a total of $2.5 million, despite
the $1 million cut in services.

The only new services contained
within the budget are the Lynn
Canyon Park Rangers at a cost of
$39,000." -

The district is facing declining
sources of income from prior yedr

‘surpluses and the loss of wood-
chip tipping fees which together

account‘ for a projected $1.2 mil-
lion reduction in revenue.

'. The - majority of: council ex-

pressed cautious satisfaction with

the budget figures.
“I feel relatively proud. of this

budget because of the balance that .

has been achieved,’’ said Coun.
Janice Harris.

“We wanted a budget that got
spending under control and to a
certain extent we have done that,’’
echoed Coun. Paul Turner.

Gadsby.

DISTRICT COUNCIL

But Councillors Ernie Crist and
Joan Gadsby opposed the budget.

Crist referred to proposed cost
reductions for the. North Shore
Recreation’ Commission, North
Shore Union Board of Health,
‘Nort’ Shore Arts Commission
and RCMP as part of the required
$1 million in savings.

Said Crist, ‘‘These are areas
that we should be increasing ex-
penses.””

Crist jater told the News ‘'There
is something wrong with the
system when council challenges
the: recreation commission to at-
tract: more users, and when they .
succeed in improving © attendance
by 10%, our costs go up because
it costs us money to subsidize the
system, and then we want to _in-
stitute cutbacks. It's crazy.’’

,Gadsby opposed the budget
proposal as she has done the past
several years.

' “The economy is light, and we
cannot go beyond our taxpayers’
ability ta pay. Many of our citi-
zens are on fixed incomes,”*

NVD.BUDGET INCREASES FOR 1993

MAJOR ‘AREAS of cost: increase |
in the district's $54,544,317 provi-’
sional operating budget for 1993"

include:

@ 4% municipal workers’ con-
tract. wage: settlement (third year
of 1991-93 contract);

@ full year cost in 1993 for staff
hired in 1992;

“® full year cost in 1993 for six
new RCMP officers approved in

o ‘additional

(THE: SQUAMISH Band’s move ‘into the property. taxation’
field on the North Shore has been-an initiative in the mak-
ng: for the: past decade. And band leaders see the step as
integral to native self- determination. .

“Ins a! recent! News interview, :
quamish : Chief. Philip . Joe said:
he ‘band’s ‘iribal council met. with:
‘the’: “provincial and” federal "gov-.
rents: ‘about..10 years’ ago to °
negotiate, ‘a deal ‘to’ initiate tand
‘taxation of its “North Shore: pro- :
erties,’ s
“But. ‘unfortunately’ ; think that.
was too early, for: its time. It
ed on ‘the vine,’? Joe ‘said.
“We've always had the right to

“under the Indian Act.:-The on-.°

y, problem was that the provincial:
overnment also had that right.””

According to Brice Campbell, a

lawyer who has been working with .
he Squamish to write the bylaws |
eeded to support the tax scheme, "

an ‘Indian: Act ainendment -passed
a: few -years ago ‘cleared the, way |
for. First Nations to, take over the.
axation::.of . interests. on ” their °
reserves “from” provincial taxing
authorities.

The. » provinci he government |
assed’ companion legislation: to
lean up the loose ends as to what’ |
ould happen when a First ‘Nation
entered - the property ‘taxation:

ylaws that /are ‘approved : _by the *
federal Ministry of Indian Affairs,
provincial « taxing © “authorities - no:
longer. ‘have the authority to. tax
non-native : interests. located on.

T to the legislative

‘By Michael Becker

News Reporter

» changes, municipalities ‘and other , ;
taxing authorities in the province
interests . on’;

taxed — non-Indian ..
reserves, The revenue was. used for
municipal purposes..." :

Said Campbel}, “Not necessari-:

“y'all of:the: money that has been:

taxed out of the reserve, has been

spent on: reserve services within,

the reserve.

‘If. you look at reserves, typi-;*
cally you will find that -they. have
_a lower level of focal services than
“surrounding municipalities.” :

Harold Calla is responsible for
administering the Squamish taxa-
tion regime... He said ; it. would
provide stability to investors con-
" sidering locating on reserve land.

Added |'Calla, ‘‘Self- determina-.
“ tion in. terms ‘of ‘our ‘discussions,

“hinges on’ our. ability,.to be eco- .

nomically ‘self-reliant. This is a
major ‘step. towards that. It’s an:
acknowledgement * ‘of’ some
. Jurisdiction that we've had. my
“eit will assist in developing a
relationship that we think can be a
model for across. the-country. so’
that the word of aboriginal self-
government \‘will. not, be’ feared.

You will see what it means right” _

100
News, under ‘an ‘interim. servicing “ '

} a Oe tes

_here‘on the North Shore.”
‘As reported in. the.’ Jan.

RCMP cur Y

‘costs and new vehicles;

.] $100,000 election expenses for |
1993; ‘ ; :
@ opérating cost for. new.
fireboat; ” os Mf
@ full year’s costs for. Karen
Magnussen recreation centre and
Capilano College Sportsplex;

'@ 1993 operating costs for new ©

parks completed in 1992; |
© additional snow and

ice
removal costs. a

property

said ~

Sunday, January 17, 1993 - North Shore News ~ 3

—|Cab union

to use new

labor code to remove
replacement workers

THE UNION representing 20 striking North Shore
Taxi employees says. it plans to use the provincial
government’s new labor code to ban the use .of
replacement workers ‘currently doing its members’:
jobs at the North Vancouver cab company.

Teamsters Local 213. has
been on strike against North
Shore Taxi since Nov. 9. The
striking workers are employed
as dispatchers, office staff and
mechanics.

North Shore Taxi drivers are
not on strike, but replacement
workers have been brought in
to do the job of the striking.
workers.

Under Bill 84, the govern-
_ment's new. labor. code, the
union could apply to the Labor
Relations Board (LRB) to have
the replacement workers
removed...’ °

The union. has already made |

an application to the LRB, but
it was rejected . because. the
labor code had not yet been
proclaimed as law.

In a Jan.: 15 News story,

North. Shore, Taxi spokesman -

Ali Damji said. the company
was not worried about. the new
labor code because he said. it
would not. affect. the labor
dispute. ©)

He added that the company’s
replacement workers are all
company shareholders’ who are
considered to be’ management
staff: .

But. on Friday, union
spokesman Grant ‘ Wood :'said-
‘North Shore Taxi has brought
in workers”: other| than -share-

holders:to do the jobs of strik- :

ing company employees. |’ -
And he said.that the union

plans to re-apply to the, LRB

‘to have the: replacement

workers banned once the new :

labor code. becomes law.
m Wood ; added . that.

4

pane on. S move to. tax North Shore properties developed over ‘past : 10 years

” The native bylaws’ ‘governing
taxation :
assessment bylaw, a property tax-

ation bylaw, a rates. bylaw and an
_ expenditure bylaw. ;

Campbell. said the Sauisémish.

‘assessment: bylaw ‘is ‘closely > pat-'

terned on the B.C. Assessment |,

Act... Pe

The ‘native ‘bylaw . will be! ad

‘ministered by the B.C. Assessment

-» Authority. .

” “They've contracted to do ‘the

, assessments, SO, there will ‘be: no).
- change as to who will be carrying:
out the assessments,” he said. ’

Appeals, of assessments 20: to’ a

“yon to $21.72." an hour, for. ai

‘planned ‘in; the labor dispute,

the

include: -an_::
Z annually by.a rates -bylaw, > “)

By Surj Rattan
News Reporter

Teamsters’ labor dispute with:

- North Shore Taxi might be the

first time Bill 84 is used against -
replacement workers. ;

“There is’ language in the
labor code to deal with the ex-
isting scabs in there: (North ;
Shore Taxi),’" Wood © said.’
“They have more than” just”:
shareholders in there, they have
employees. who are not share-
holders. | don’t -know where
they found them.”

He added that the company’ S
initial wago offer to the union
consisted of. a three-year’ col-
fective agreement with no: wage |;
increase in the fi rst year and
2% ‘wage hikes in’; the Second. ‘
and third years... - *;

The wage offer was subse:
quently. increased ., to: 1.5%, -!
2.5% and .3.5%, but Wood
said. it was- rejected. by ° the;
union. i ‘

Wood said the union also’ re-”

a
t
|
a)
!

«jected a third wage. offer of}

2%,.3% and 3.5% over three |
years after, the, company i
demanded that the ‘union give !:
up-a'30-minute paid | break‘:
when an employee has to work: i
overtime. is :

Prior . the | strike, the
union’s © wages. ranged’ from /:
$9.26 an hour/for a phone per- |

mechanic. je .
No» new. negotiations :: are

which entered its Toth’ day- “tori:
day. : in

vincial Taxation Rural Area Act,’ ee
Taxation rates' ‘are established

Three taxation districts," iden:
tical to the ‘éxisting : North Shore
“municipalities, have“: been” estab-
“lished under the Squamish regime:
* @ Squamish land’that: used ‘to be

a “taxed by West Vaitcouver; -

'@ portions tof: the’: Capilano’

“;yeserve “and: the ‘Seyniour. reserve >

that have historically: been’ taxed’
by North Vancouver. District;
@ the.: Mission’ reserve. taxation
district,” which is located. within
“North Vancouver City. :..

iThe: Capilano: reserve, on which)

-- board of review appointed by the’, stich’ non-native interests. as Park:

SQUAMISH CHIEF Philip Joe...
‘band’s always. had the right to
tax. |

| agreement. reached with West

Vancouver, the band will return to
the municipality. approximately.
75% of tax-revenues collected on
its West Vancouver property: to
pay for municipal services. ;

Negotiations for long-term :ser-
vicing agreements. with the. three ,
‘North Shore municipalities have.
yet to be concluded. '

Cocktails & Caviar ..
Bi Comics |
& Editorial ‘Page .
&R Fashion .. o

se

Squamish band : rather ..than . the ~

province. The appeal. period ex-

pires,.as’ it does under provincial
law, on Jan. 31.: ‘ ‘
“Whereas, you’ have a- right to.
appeal assessment one does’ not :
have‘a right to appeal the level of:

“taxation; and ‘that. will ,be:no di

ferent under the Squamish:
“However, you'll find th

will effectively reflect the levels of
(neighboring)

the ‘relevant
municipality,*? Campbell said: :
The Squamish taxation bylaw,

: he said, is modelled after the pro-

"index
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Royal South are located, ‘and ‘the
Seymour reserve, “which” includes”:
‘the “Lynnwood : Marina’ near * ithe:
’ Second ! Narrows “Bridge, aréthe’
i, base” for, a’ taxation: role of. about.
180 individual taxpaying entitie
The Squamish plan ‘to

taxation: on: the. Mission ‘ ‘reserve: ‘as
“it cis: cused’ py ;

annually | review“.
"Proposed by the band.

‘Fan. le

‘Weather

Meda mostly cloudy: High 3C
Tuesday, showers likely, ya 5