Candidates agree taxes too high
For Immediate Release: November 14, 2005
Vancouver Fair Tax Coalition releases candidates' positions on business property tax
Vancouver, BC - Vancouver city council and mayoral candidates agree municipal property taxes on businesses are too high, but they don't agree how this should be resolved, according to results of a survey conducted by the Vancouver Fair Tax Coalition.
"Our members are pleased to see this issue is on the candidates' radar," stated VFTC co-chair Ed DesRoches. "Business owners pay municipal property taxes at nearly six times the rate paid by residents. All candidates recognize this situation is unfair and needs to be resolved."
When asked if the candidates would support an interim reduction of commercial property taxes for the 2006 budget, none of the COPE candidates committed to making a change. Vision Vancouver was "open to the approach". All but two NPA candidates were committed to a change.
NPA and Vision Vancouver candidates were in favour of a long-term solution that would bring commercial municipal property taxes into line with regional and national averages.
The coalition is also concerned about a proposed solution that would create separate property tax categories for large and small businesses.
"What constitutes a small business - the number of staff, annual revenues?" questioned DesRoches. "Splitting the commercial class isn't going to work - property tax is based on land value, not the size of the business. You can't change the property tax on a building when a new tenant moves in."
"We need a policy that creates stability for, and is fair to business owners," continued DesRoches. "Vancouver is known as a great place to live, we want to ensure it's also a great place to do business."
The VFTC canvassed all city council candidates for COPE, NPA and Vision Vancouver to determine their position on Vancouver's municipal tax rates for commercial property. All 22 candidates responded. A compilation of these responses is posted on the News/Other section of www.fairtaxcoalition.com.
The Vancouver Fair Tax Coalition is a non-partisan group of local business improvement associations, small business owners and managers, industrial and office property owners and developers, and business associations, which represent thousands of local businesses. VFTC members are concerned about the high municipal property taxes paid by business properties in Vancouver and are seeking the City of Vancouver's commitment to permanently bring taxes into line with regional and national averages.
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