In BC, municipalities are part of two organizations that help represent our
combined interests to the province government. They are part of local area
associations and the Union of BC Municipalities.
While these organizations do many other things, one of the ways that they help
advocate on behalf of local governments to the provincial government is
through
the resolutions process.
I will explain how this process works and share two resolutions Langley City
Council submitted at our last meeting.
Local governments, like Langley City, will pass resolutions at Council
meetings that they would like to see forwarded to their local area
association. In Langley City's case, this is the Lower Mainland Local
Government Association.
Representatives from local governments debate these resolutions at their area
association's annual convention. For resolutions that pass, they get forwarded
to the Union of BC Municipalities. At the Union of BC Municipalities annual
conference, local government representatives from throughout the province
debate these resolutions. For the ones that pass, the Union of BC
Municipalities forwards them to the province as these resolutions represent
what local governments want the province to take action on.
The first resolution that Langley City Council forwarded to our local area
association was around residential property taxes. Because there is only one
residential tax rate per BC law, and because detached and attached housing
change values at different rates, it leads to inconsistent property tax
changes. The following tables show the change in tax rates over the last
several years by housing type in Langley City.
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Change in average attached housing valuation and property taxation
between 2014 and 2022 in Langley City. Select the table to enlarge.
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Change in average detached housing valuation and property taxation
between 2014 and 2022 in Langley City. Select the table to enlarge.
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As a note, attached housing includes apartments, townhouses, and rowhouses.
The motion is:
WHEREAS the Province of British Columbia specifies that there is one
assessment class for all types of residential properties even though the
assessed value of attached and detached residential properties change values
at different rates and other jurisdictions, such as Ontario, allow different
tax rates for attached and detached residential properties;
WHEREAS in Langley City, a 4.94% property tax increase in 2018 resulted in a
0.4% decrease for detached residential properties and a 14.31% increase for
attached residential property, and in 2022, a 4.35% property tax increase
resulted in a 12.49% increase for detached residential properties and 3.37%
decrease for attached residential properties;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province of British Columbia amend the BC
Assessment Act and the Community Charter to allow the residential class to be
split into two distinct residential classes so that a different rate may be
applied to each type to account for the difference in the rate at which
attached and detached residential properties change their value and to allow
local government to more accurately charge for the cost of providing services
to attached and detached residential properties.
Langley City Council approved the second resolution around infrastructure
funding. Like all municipalities in BC, we are responsible for most public
infrastructure on the ground, such as transportation, sewer, and water.
In Langley City's 10 square kilometres, the City owns $600 million
(replacement value) in transportation, sewer, and water infrastructure. In the
next decade, we need to invest $242 million to keep this infrastructure in a
state of good repair. Like all municipalities in BC, we need more financial
resources to do this. Today, we all have growing infrastructure debts. We have
this problem because local governments collect less than 5% of all taxation,
with the rest going to the feds and the province. We need a new deal from the
feds and the province.
The motion is:
WHEREAS Canada’s infrastructure deficit is estimated to be as high as $570B
with almost 60% of the deficit within municipal jurisdictions.
WHEREAS the costs to replace and repair municipal infrastructure for critical
services such as roads, arenas, bridges, drinking water, and wastewater
systems are estimated to be $141 billion, which is well beyond the financial
capacity of municipalities across the country due to limited revenue
generation options, and all while costs for infrastructure renewal continue to
escalate at an exponential rate.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Government of Canada create a sustainable
and reliable municipal asset management fund, like the permanent Building
Canada’s Public Transit Future Fund, to increase investments in infrastructure
renewal, which is essential to enhance public safety, reduce health risks,
ensure economic sustainability, and lessen the financial burden on future
generations to pay for the infrastructure deficit.
I look forward to debating these motions at this year's conferences.
