Carbon Tax Exemption for Municipalities Working Toward Carbon Neutrality

WHEREAS the Government of British Columbia has introduced legislation to impose a broad based carbon tax on the purchase and use of fossil fuels in British Columbia; AND WHEREAS the carbon tax will be imposed upon municipalities even though they will not benefit from additional revenues, which instead will be returned to taxpayers through personal, small business and corporate tax reductions; AND WHEREAS BC municipalities who have signed the BC Climate Change Action Charter herein referred to as the Charter will be required to make substantial financial commitments to achieve the Charters target of corporate neutrality by 2012; AND WHEREAS the Province, as per Section 5 of the Charter, committed to supporting local governments in pursuing Charter goals, including the development of options and actions for local governments to be carbon neutral in respect to their operations by 2012: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities ask the Province to rebate the carbon tax revenues collected from municipalities that have signed the Charter provided that the monies returned are invested in GHG reduction projects needed to meet the municipalities neutrality commitments.