Provincial Government Says "No" to Reducing Wild Property Tax Swings

Over the past several decades, Langley City Council has advocated for the provincial government to establish two residential property tax classes. The problem in Langley City is that attached and detached housing change value at different rates. When the City increases property tax, sometimes detaching housing owners will see a decrease in City-control property tax while attached housing owners will see a massive increase (or vice versa). Two residential property tax classes would reduce these wild swings.

For more information, please read my post titled "One residential mill rate causes uneven property tax changes in Langley City. Find out why."

Langley City Council has advocated via the Lower Mainland Local Government Association and Union of BC Municipalities for the province to have two residential property tax classes. Since I've been on Council, we have received support from the majority of other local governments in the Lower Mainland and BC four times to press the province to create two residential property classes.

Whether former BC Liberal or current NDP governments, the response has always been "no" from the province.

The following is the latest "no" response from the provincial government a few weeks ago.

The market relationship between single family detached) and attached properties may vary year over year and can also be impacted by local and regional factors. Over the last decade, single family dwellings have increased in value more than multi-family dwellings, largely due to rising land values.

Although implementing residential property sub-classes would allow for a more targeted approach to taxation, it would add further complexity to the assessment process and may lead to inconsistency across the province where municipalities differ their approach in applying tax rates.

Government is committed to support people throughout BC and to improve housing affordability for those who need it most. Providing local governments with the tools to shift the tax burden from single family detached homes to denser housing such as condos or townhomes would not align with provincial priorities of affordability or support a progressive tax system.

BC has more property classes than most provinces and is not actively considering creating new property classes.

I disagree that introducing two residential property tax classes would shift taxes to homeowners like myself and most people in Langley City who live in attached housing (multi-family.) Regardless, we've received different "reasons" from various provincial governments over the years on why they don't want to do this.

Over the past two decades, Langley City Council has put in much advocacy effort to help smooth out property tax swings for people in our community. In politics, it's important to understand when you are flogging a dead horse. Getting two residential property tax classes is a dead horse.

March 18 Council Notes: Official Notice Posting Location, Regional Land Use Change, and Other Housekeeping Matters

Langley City Council addressed several housekeeping items at Monday's meeting.

By default, local governments have to post statutory notices in local newspapers and, if a local newspaper doesn't exist, a regional newspaper. Statutory notices include information about rezonings, property taxes, and annual reports (among other things.)

In the past, every community had a local paper, so this wasn't an issue, but this isn't the case anymore, with newspapers stopping publication at an increasing rate.

The provincial government recently updated legislation to allow local governments to have alternate official statutory notice places besides the local newspaper. Langley City Council gave first, second, and third reading to a bylaw that would update our official notice places to be the City's website, in a display board on the first floor of Timms Community Centre, and a display board on the second floor of City Hall by the Administration Department.

Despite this change, the City would still advertise information in our local newspaper if this bylaw is adopted.

Council also gave first, second, and third reading to update our Council Procedure Bylaw. The bylaw updates included changes to the meeting scheduling process, easing participation requirements for virtual and hybrid meetings, and other housekeeping matters.

Council also gave final reading to adopt our new Development Procedure Bylaw in response to provincial changes that make public hearings illegal for residential rezoning. You can read more about this in a previous post.

Council also received a letter from the Metro Vancouver Regional District about proposed regional land use changes around the Yennadon Industrial Lands in Maple Ridge. Council referred this letter to City staff to draft a reply.

Finally, Council approved a motion about Gaza. You can read this motion on Langley City's website.

Council Notes: It's Spring Banner Time, Organ Donors, and Long Service Award

For the last few years, Langley City has put out a "call for artists" to design our street banners. The City will install Sichen Grace Chen's designed banners throughout Downtown Langley this spring.

Sichen Grace Chen with Langley City Council during her banner presentation. Select the image to enlarge.

Ms. Chen's banner design includes elements of spring flowers, active transportation, and arts, which she said represents Langley City.

The City paid her $1,000 for the banner design, and these spring banners will be installed starting today.

Later in the meeting, Council presented our Chief Administrative Officer with a 30-year long service award, which he received from the International City/Country Management Association.

Council received a late request from the Canadian Transplant Association to appear at an upcoming Council meeting to ask Council to proclaim April 7th as Green Shirt Day in Langley City. Our next Council meeting is on April 8th, so we mentioned this at yesterday's meeting.

Green Shirt Day is "in honour of the Logan Boulet Effect, in support of organ donor awareness and registration across Canada."

As Langley City Council doesn't make proclamations by policy, Councillor Albrecht suggests that City Staff inform the Association to submit a request to light Douglas Park Spirit Square green.

A friend of mine's life was saved due to a transplant. It is super easy to become an organ donor. You can register at https://register.transplant.bc.ca/

What's Next for the Properties around City Hall and Timms

Over the last several years, Langley City has acquired property around City Hall and Timms Community Centre. This year, people have noticed that the City has started demolishing the older derelict buildings on those properties.

Property that Langley City has acquired in recent years in blue

The funding to purchase these property acquisitions comes from loans and City financial reserve accounts. You can learn more about this in a previous post.

Several folks have asked what the City will be doing with the property in the short- and long-term.

In the short term, the City will use some of the property for parking to support Downtown businesses as the City renews the Fraser Highway One-Way. A section of the property will also become a temporary public park space.

With SkyTrain coming, 56th Avenue may be realigned to form a new road connecting up to 203A Street to support SkyTrain.

A possible road alignment between 56th Avenue and 203A Street in blue

In the long term, the City will use the land to support a new performing arts centre and expanded Timms Community Centre, as noted in the City's Official Community Plan.