Voice Your Opinion
Help us put hard-earned money back in the pockets of business owners!

The Year of the Rat will be prosperous for Vancouver if city council recognizes vibrant businesses lead to prosperity, and adopts the Property Tax Policy Review Commission’s report and recommendations.

City council needs to hear from you and others in the business community before making a decision on the property tax allocation and budget this April.

Although the public meetings in February have passed, it’s never too late to voice your opinion.

Here's what city council needs to hear:

• How high property taxes are hurting business.
• Businesses are the heart of our neighbourhoods. They provide jobs, unique goods and services and help build communities.
• Businesses deserve to pay their fair share of taxes, at a rate more in line with the regional average.
• Businesses encourage city council to hold property taxes at the 2007 levels, in addition to endorsing the tax commission’s recommendations.  (The tax commission has recommended an annual 1% tax shift in each of five years until the commercial sector pays 48% and residents pay 52% of the tax share.)
• Any tax shifts are beneficial to my business and all others in the city.

On May 1, council will release its final report on the operating budget and the allocation of property taxes for 2008. Write a letter or e-mail describing the impact of property taxes on your business, and tell them why a tax shift is necessary for the sustainability and economic vitality of our city.  

Here’s what others have said:
“We at City Square urge the City of Vancouver council to move aggressively to make the property tax share redistribution between residential and non-residential fair and competitive with other Metro Vancouver jurisdictions so that Vancouver has a competitive advantage in attracting new tenants, small and large.”

“I strongly urge the City of Vancouver to review tax policies and the impact it has on the businesses that service the downtown community…We vote yes for the tax shift…“

“Vancouver’s business community has its own working poor. The city is full of them. Small mom and pop businesses that have low profit margins that barely survive from month to month…We need our property taxes frozen to 2007 levels. We need to see our communities and the services that exist are protected. If we don’t, the consequences will be irreversible.”

Instructions:

• Mail, fax or e-mail the mayor and councillors a letter before May 1 – the sooner the better. E-mail info@fairtaxcoalition.com for a template letter you can modify with your own message.
• It is most effective to e-mail the mayor and councillors individually. Please send the Fair Tax Coalition a copy of your letter either by e-mail or fax.
• If you don’t have time to write, call the mayor directly and leave a message on his dedicated line. Dial 604-873-7621 and press 1.  Mayor Sullivan does listen to these messages