2023

Whereas the Province has adopted vacancy taxes on vacant residential properties as one tool to assure land speculation does not result in property standing fallow to the detriment of community livability and other goals; And whereas commercial property values are inflating province-wide, and increasingly face investment speculation resulting in similar underutilization of commercial property in many municipalities across British Columbia: There be it resolved that the Province of BC provide local governments with adoption to introduce a vacant property tax applicable to commercial propert

Whereas given the many challenges facing small brick and mortar businesses, including the often financially devastating impact that an increase in rent causes when a lease expires; And whereas small businesses could plan ahead for operational impacts if they had foreknowledge of future rent increases: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province establish a rental limit increase on commercially zoned properties operated by small businesses similar to the rental increase limitations that govern residential rental properties.

Whereas the Local Government Act regulates municipal actions for the recovery of unpaid property taxes by means of annual municipal tax sale, and sets out the terms to which a property owner may redeem a property sold at the annual tax sale; And whereas Section 6603 of the Local Government Act regulates the amounts that must be collected, for a property owner to redeem a property sold at tax sale: a The upset price of the parcel at the time of the tax sale; b Costs incurred by the purchaser, with relation to the property; c Taxes paid by the purchaser; and d Interest to the date of red

Whereas there currently is no provincial legislation that addresses the need for strategic foresight by requiring public bodies to plan and take action in pursuit of economic, social, environmental, and cultural well-being in their areas and for interconnected objectives; And whereas short-term thinking, fragmented decision-making, siloed approaches, and a lack of emphasis on the long-term consequences of these decisions have led to the persistence of social, environmental, and economic issues and inequities: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government to develop

Whereas the Prime Minister, at the National Supply Housing Summit held on February 24, 2022, advised that Canada has a shortage of over two million homes, and that with the increased need of immigration, there is a need to double the volume of housing created in Canada annually to meet the current housing deficit and future demand; And whereas the Rental Construction Financing Initiative RCFI program; an underfunded and underused housing initiative accessed through the Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation CMHC, designed to provide funding from the Bank of Canada through CMHC directly to d

Whereas the Province of British Columbia has set sectoral targets to reduce greenhouse gas GHG emissions by 59 to 64 below 2007 levels by 2030 for buildings and communities, but is so far falling short of those targets with only a 10 reduction achieved in 2020 as reported in the 2022 Climate Change Accountability Report; And whereas encouraging building retrofits and electrification are critical strategies to address health risks associated with overheating in buildings as a result of warming temperatures, and to reduce GHG emissions from the operation of existing buildings, which represe

Whereas climate change is collectively and increasingly costing BC local governments billions of dollars in the form of increased maintenance, construction and upgrading of infrastructure, disaster relief, and other climate costs, but the connections between these costs and climate change is often invisible and not adequately considered in planning and budgeting; And whereas ICLEI Canada Local Governments for Sustainability, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities FCM, the Insurance Bureau of Canada IBC and others have prepared tools and reports to assist local governments in understand

Whereas climate change is collectively, and increasingly, costing BC local governments billions of dollars in the form of increased maintenance, construction and upgrading of infrastructure, disaster relief and other climate costs; And whereas current provincial and federal funding falls considerably short of what is needed to properly protect communities in BC from current and future projected climate changes such as floods, wildfires and extreme heat: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province increase funding available for climate adaptation measures commensurate wi

Whereas Properly Assessed Clean Energy PACE Financing Programs support building retrofits that improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas GHG emissions and can reduce the capital cost barrier and streamline access to retrofits for lower income households or those enduring energy poverty by providing low or zero-interest financing that is repaid via property tax requisition, as clearly demonstrated by the successful Saanich Oil to Heat Pump Financing Program pilot; And whereas the current federal and provincial incentive programs are not fully addressing the capital cost barrier f

Whereas the Ministry of Education and Child Care is responsible for BCs 10day child care program, and ChildCareBCs growing system of universal child care has been life-changing for families, with demand far outstripping supply; And whereas the current grant-based process to expand universal child care relies on grant applicants to coordinate all aspects of design and implementation, and local and Indigenous governments and nonprofit organizations often lack the resources to successfully manage this process in accordance with UBCM-funded child care needs assessments and action plans: The