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Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts will vote against authorizing a TransLink property tax hike to fund the Evergreen Line.
“We can’t fund the system on property tax. We have to have a comprehensive sustainable funding policy,” Watts said.
Metro mayors vote Dec. 9 on two options tabled by the TransLink board to finance its share of the $1.4-billion Evergreen Line to Coquitlam and the first phase of the North Fraser Perimeter Road – projects in danger of losing $500 million in federal funding without a final green light.
Although mayors and the provincial government agreed in September to explore a variety of other potential new funding options for TransLink, none of those possibilities – including a vehicle levy – are ready for implementation yet.
Rather than vote in a property tax hike increase now and attempt to switch it back to another source later, as TransLink officials suggest, Watts said it’s best to simply wait and negotiate new funding sources with the province next year.
“There’s many options,” she said. “We need to look at road pricing. We need to look at fair tolling. We need to look at carbon tax. There’s all sorts of options to come back with a sustainable funding source.”
Surrey residents already contribute significantly to TransLink, she added, so that must be taken into account in crafting new mechanisms.
“Surrey gives into the system $44 million in property taxes every year and another $100 million in gas taxes. So our contribution is $144 million,” Watts said.
“There’s already a toll on the Golden Ears, there’s going to be tolls on the Port Mann and there’s going to be tolls on the new Pattullo Bridge.”
The tax hike proposed by TransLink would be at least $36 for an average $692,000 home – $65 if a broader package of bus service and SkyTrain station upgrades are added.
Had the vehicle levy, dubbed the Transportation Improvement Fee, been used, it would have instead charged every registered vehicle $15 to $55, depending on the carbon footprint, or $30 to $90 for the larger set of upgrades.
Jeff Nagel | – New Westminster News Leader -
