WHEREAS life-saving and fire equipment is essential in ensuring the safety of all citizens within the Province of British Columbia, including during provincial States of Emergency; AND WHEREAS the federal government now rebates one hundred percent of federal Goods and Services Tax paid for local government service delivery: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities petition the provincial government to exempt local governments from the Provincial Sales Taxes on the purchase of fire trucks and other life-saving equipment.
Ministry of Finance The province has traditionally chosen to support municipal governments in ways other than through sales tax exemptions because they complicate the tax system and set precedents that could ultimately reduce the effectiveness of the tax as an important provincial revenue source. Municipal governments have received significant financial support from both senior levels of government over the past year. On the federal side, the GST rebate for municipalities was increased to 100 percent and a portion of federal fuel tax revenue is being shared. Recent provincial support includes: - the transfer of 100 percent of traffic fine revenue to 70 local governments for community policing, crime prevention and other initiatives to help make communities safer; and - the 80 million British Columbia Community Water Improvement Program to help ensure safe, reliable and accessible drinking water and improved waste water systems.