Port Coquitlam's mayor voted against the city budget this week in an attempt to send a message to the provincial government — just days before voters head to the polls.
Greg Moore said he wanted to "draw the line" as the province downloads more services onto municipalities, which are responsible for taxing property owners.
Moore, who chairs the Metro Vancouver board of directors and is a former BC Liberal candidate, charged the tax burden is "continually shifting so that a provincial government can have the lowest corporate tax and have the lowest personal tax."
And, in his scathing attack before city council voted on three readings of the budget Tuesday, he listed examples where municipalities have had to pick up the slack.
Among them, the cost for dyke maintenance, DNA testing and the PRIME database, the police records management system that now comes out of municipal coffers.
Moore also pointed the finger at the federal government for forcing municipalities to pay the tab for cameras in jails and for failing to share costs with the province on massive drinking water facilities such as the Seymour-Capilano filtration plant and the Coquitlam treatment plant. More capital projects are also coming down the pike like the Iona sewage plant, which regional residents will also have to foot the bill.
TransLink is another agency the province has neglected, Moore claimed while noting its recent news that another referendum on how to pay for the longterm transit plan may be coming. "We can expect the same result," a disgruntled Moore said.
The mayor, however, left his harshest criticism for the province's lack of funding for the BC Ambulance Service — the main reason he opposed this year's civic budget.
Because of its move to downgrade calls to make the agency more efficient, PoCo taxpayers are on the hook to pay for nine new firefighters over the next three years.
"The fire department is asked to go to more and more medical calls because the provincial government isn't paying for ambulance service," a baffled Moore said.
In 2014, fire chief Nick Delmonico raised the flag before council about paramedic times. BC Ambulance is prioritizing calls and, as a result, firefighters are tied up with patient until paramedics get on scene (last year, PoCo fire crews had to wait 2.5 hours with a 92-year-old injured man on a Friday night before paramedics arrived).
But being forced to hire new personnel isn't the only issue, Moore complained. Smoke-eaters also have heavy training requirements, as assigned by the provincial government, and that extra learning is cutting into scheduling levels for staffing.
As well, a provincial arbitrator's ruling for a new collective agreement between IAFF Local 1941 and the city has resulted in a 21% pay hike over eight years, he said.
While Moore praised the work of the fire department — which next year is also poised to receive a $120,000 medic truck — he said the necessity of having to hire more firefighters was the last straw for him. "I'm not willing to take on more," he said of the provincial downloading. "Besides that, the rest of the budget is bang on."
Councillors Dean Washington, chair of the city's budget and infrastructure committee, and Mike Forrest made similar comments. It was Forrest's first time in 18 years on council he has voted down a budget, and Moore's first time as mayor.
Still, Coun. Brad West, who is on BC NDP MLA Mike Farnworth's re-election team, said the tax impact to bring on five new fire fighters this year equals a 0.34% lift.
And he said provincial downloading is felt in every civic department — not just for fire: Police are handling more homelessness and mental health cases, for example.
West said B.C. councils have beat the drum for decades about downloading, including through the Union of BC Municipalities, but nothing has changed.
Voting down the city budget won't change the direction in Victoria. "The provincial government have showed time and time again that they're not responsive," he said. "Perhaps, some of the voters will render a judgement in the election on May 9."
••••
Port Coquitlam's budget is expected to receive fourth and final bylaw reading at a special council meeting tonight (Thursday).
And included in the financial plan is a last-minute addition of $88,000 to pay for road repairs caused by the snow storm this past winter. According to a city report, potholes shot up by 30% and crews also had to fix large cracks.
The budget also includes $500,000 more for sidewalks next year — a request made during public consultation in March and April.
The two items won't affect this year's 4.23% tax hike as funding will come from reserve accounts.
The tax increase translates to:
• $131.03 more for the average single-family home assessed at $883,239;
• $94.70 more for the average townhouse worth $445,083;
• and an additional $73.04 for an average apartment at $336,660.
To learn more about Port Coquitlam's budget, call 604-927-5280, email [email protected] or visit portcoquitlam.ca/budget.
