0% NVD budget OK'd

Heritage Fund money tapped for projects

Marcie Good Contributing Writer”

NORTH Vancouver District council sup- ported a budget Monday that will see a

- 0% increase to taxpay- ers this year.

It’s the only budget in the ' Lower Mainland that does not ‘increase taxes or other utility rates. At “Monday night’s _ meeting, council turned down _ a last-ditch effort by Coun. » Janice Harris to include addi- tional funding for projects. With a 4-3 majority of councillors. Bill Denaule, “Dou ‘ MacKa »-Dunn, Heat Crist: in support, council passed the first three readings of - the 2000 ° financial : plan.

Those: councillors had voted’

direct staff 10 cat nearly $2

million from the original bud-..

moving’ Ppparently, o

and. behold,” it has

ice‘ arrived;' but: one room er sildren’s ; clothes

er. Dunsford and Ernie. ..

, Program;

come down to zero,” said Dunsford. “I think that says something about looking at things more closely. Whether it is perfect is probably not realistic, but it is pretty darn good.”

Bat making the cuts was no simple feat, as a staff report pointed out. Balancing the budget, municipal manager Gord Howie pointed out, required using funds that had previously been set aside for “unexpected situations.”

Those who opposed the budget continued to question what its real cost would be. “The whole. idea that some- how a 0% tax levy has no impact on the level of service is a lic, a chimera, is misguid- ed,” said: Harris. She pro- posed adding a number of items, which together would have: accounted for.a- 1.14%

increase. They included: a. . $140,000 upgrade. to the

Marine Drive and Capilano Road ‘intersection; a $30, 000

. commercial . container" pur-:. :' chase” program which would | | generate revenue; a $163,000 » Lynn Canyon park renovation $175; 000 . for the

“extremely hazardous.”.

¢ house. There were live - transformers on the floor of the

“kitchen and a hole in the wall c of.

/ the room the children st The hole was covers

sthin ; sheet ‘of ‘vencer,. by a said:

“They. a te hildren)

Kirkstone Skateboard Park; avoiding parking fees at Lynn Canyon and Cates parks; and increases to admission fees at Maplewood farm. Staff esti- mated these fees would bring in $125,000 in revenue.

The net effect of these, she pointed out, would be a “modest fiule increase” that would mean an extra $15 for the average home. “I thought 1 would do this council 3 favour and add back items that will come back as hot issues,” she said.

Council turned down her package in a 4-3 vote, with Coun. Lisa Muri and Mayor Don Bell in support. But amendments to the budget took care. of several of the items she had proposed.

Kirkstone Skateboard Park -

and Lynn Canyon renovation project will be added, paid for by the heritage fund principle.

Denault called staff’s pro- posal to add the parking fees a

“contravention of the instruc-

tions we gave them,” and an “intimidation tactic.” The 0% budget, said MacKay-Dunn, aims to “reconsider our man- agement. structure,” not to raise fees. Council voted to

“direct staff to find $125,000

in the operating budget to avoid the extra: parking. and

and Maplewood Farm.

Crist and Denault voted against the use of the heritage fund, money — acquired through the sale of land and set aside for capital projects, for Kirkstune Skateboard Park and Lynn Canyon renovation project. “It escapes my logic

~ how anyone can think that

admission fees at the Parks 4

instantly.”.

The : woman faces St gs of possession of a controlled sub-’ stance for the purpose of traf- ficking and: productio of a

: “controlled substance.

a

Mother faces. pot charges. |

"the children’s living conditions ‘, would have: been electrocuted :

Power had been bypassed in

downstairs. It’s cut services, °

taking money from the her- itage fund is not the same as increasing taxes,” he said. “The difference is that money in the heritage fund carns interest. Raising taxes does not.”

Harris and Muri argued againse the idea that items could be dealt with later, pos- sibly through the use of the henitage or a capital contin- gency fund. “I hear, 0%, 0%, 0%,” said Muri. “But if we need something down the road we'll just dip into that heritage fund that we're try-

“ing to build up. Maybe now ~

we need a skateboard park, so

we'll just dip into the reserves .

that we have. What reserves? There’s no hidden” kitty increase

increase fees, or

taxes.” Mayor Don Bell said .

he. thought. the direction council is taking was a “mis- take.”

for final adoption.

they. had “touched. it, | ‘they ot

» The «30-year-old male, =

‘whom she denies knowing, has: : fot been found. |

inter takes a hi toll on pur vehicle, so at me tak a beary tol Uy lal off P

33 Pemberton Ave. poe bleed

‘Entrance in rear lane

A meeting is set for tonight

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