Municipal Fiscal Imbalance

WHEREAS prior to 1997, the Province of BC Revenue Sharing Act provided for a sharing of provincial revenues with local governments; AND WHEREAS in 1997, the previous provincial government eliminated these transfers, forcing local governments to increase their reliance on property taxes; AND WHEREAS local governments have been required to act on behalf of their citizens with regards to new regulations and services, which previously were handled directly by the Province; AND WHEREAS other revenue sources available to local governments cannot fill the gap between the growing costs to service our citizens and a sustainable level of property taxation; AND WHEREAS the decline in transfers to local governments is in contrast to the rate of federal transfer payments to British Columbia and the other provinces; AND WHEREAS compared to growing provincial and federal surpluses local governments across Canada are struggling: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province and federal government take steps in their upcoming budgets to address the local government fiscal imbalance by developing a revenue sharing program with local governments and that these revenues be stable over time.