Business in Vancouver
May 13-19, 2008
Issue 968
Ballot business 2008
This week’s question: What are your top three initiatives to improve Vancouver’s business climate?
With B.C.’s municipal elections set for November, Business in Vancouver is seeking insights from prospective political leaders on their business game plans should they be elected. The newspaper is focusing on the five seeking major civic party endorsement to be a Vancouver mayoral candidate.
gkorstrom@biv.com
Vision Vancouver
Gregor Robertson:
- Continue the 1% per year tax shift from business to residential and pursue targeted tax relief for small businesses;
- Support entrepreneurs in our “creative economy,” which are the knowledge-based and arts and culture sectors, with tax incentives and regulatory and zoning changes; and
- Increase affordable housing so employees on low and middle incomes can live in the city.
Allan De Genova:
Your questions are important, and I look forward to answering them comprehensively if I am successful in winning the Vision Vancouver mayoral nomination. If I am Vision Vancouver’s mayoral choice, the first thing I will do after the nomination meeting will be to call together the Vision team so that we can create a detailed platform to carry into the election in November. That platform will carefully and specifically address the questions you have raised.
Raymond Louie:
Did not respond
Non-Partisan Association
Peter Ladner
- Accelerate planning for a high-tech hub in False Creek Flats;
- Continue the shift of business taxes to residential to address the 5:1 ratio of business: residential tax rates; and
- Protect industrial lands from conversion to residential.
Sam Sullivan
- Continue reducing property taxes on business. I am very proud of our NPA caucus’ leadership on this issue. Through our efforts since the election, we have started to reverse the historic inequity between business and residential taxes in Vancouver;
- Make sure the Olympics are a success. The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will brand Vancouver for a generation. We need to make sure projects are managed responsibly and that we take steps to maximize this opportunity for business; and,
- Fight urban sprawl.
|
 |
