COPE candidate questions ABC sign locations, renews empty homes tax dispute
COPE Vancouver council candidate Sean Orr is questioning where ABC Vancouver has placed campaign signs, and is renewing his party's criticism of a 2023 council vote that returned $3.8 million to developers.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on dailyhive.com.
COPE Vancouver council candidate Sean Orr sent an email last week questioning where ABC Vancouver had placed its campaign signs, and renewing his party's criticism of a 2023 council vote on the empty homes tax, Daily Hive reported on October 5.
In the email, Orr asked supporters whether they had "noticed ABC signs popping up in strange places? Empty apartments, publicly funded senior homes, abandoned lots with a redevelopment sign up, or in a public space?" He wrote that "empty lots and apartments are voting Ken Sim and ABC because he keeps them empty." These are Orr's allegations. The Daily Hive article did not independently verify the specific locations.
ABC Vancouver responded that all signs are placed with permission. "ABC's lawn signs go up with the permission of property owners and supporters, and we follow the city's rules on election signage," a party spokesperson told Daily Hive.
The empty homes tax dispute
Alongside the sign allegation, Orr's email returned to a longstanding criticism of a 2023 City Council vote on the empty homes tax.
In 2023, the ABC majority in City Council voted to keep the empty homes tax at 3%, rather than raising it to 5% as Mayor Kennedy Stewart had proposed. ABC Councillor Mike Klassen introduced an amendment creating a new exemption for new, unsold homes that are vacant. City Staff had recommended keeping the rate at 3% with the amendment, but had not recommended applying the exemption retroactively to 2022. Klassen's amendment included 2022, which meant the council vote resulted in $3.8 million being returned to developers. The empty homes tax funds affordable housing projects and is intended to discourage owners from leaving homes vacant.
On housing policy, ABC's spokesperson told Daily Hive the party's approach "has been to fix the process so more homes get built faster. That means cutting red tape, speeding up approvals, and making it easier to build the homes people need, including rental and affordable housing."
What COPE says it would do
Orr's email set out his party's position. COPE would enforce the empty homes tax, close loopholes, and phase in increases to 9%, he wrote. The party would also "incentivize development without displacement by taxing vacant lots and cracking down on land-banking for profit." These are COPE's stated commitments.
For voters
Both parties are now on the record with their positions on the empty homes tax. If housing policy is a factor in how you vote, you can compare party positions at /parties/cope and /parties/abc-vancouver. Voting day is October 17. Advance voting is open now.
Questions this story answers
What did Sean Orr say about ABC Vancouver's campaign signs?
Orr, a COPE Vancouver council candidate seeking re-election, sent an email last week saying he had noticed ABC signs appearing in empty apartments, publicly funded senior homes, abandoned lots with a redevelopment sign posted, and in public spaces. He wrote in the email that 'empty lots and apartments are voting Ken Sim and ABC because he keeps them empty.' These are Orr's allegations, as reported by Daily Hive. The placement of specific signs has not been independently confirmed.
How did ABC Vancouver respond to the sign allegations?
A spokesperson for ABC Vancouver told Daily Hive: 'ABC's lawn signs go up with the permission of property owners and supporters, and we follow the city's rules on election signage.' The party did not address the specific locations Orr named. On housing, the spokesperson said the party's approach 'has been to fix the process so more homes get built faster,' including cutting approval times and making it easier to build rental and affordable housing.
What happened with Vancouver's empty homes tax in 2023?
In 2023, the ABC majority in City Council voted to keep the empty homes tax at 3%. Mayor Kennedy Stewart had originally proposed raising it to 5%. ABC Councillor Mike Klassen introduced an amendment creating a new exemption for new, unsold homes that are vacant. City Staff had recommended the 3% rate with the amendment, but had not recommended applying it retroactively to 2022. Klassen's amendment included taxes collected in 2022, which meant Council voted to return $3.8 million to developers. The empty homes tax funds affordable housing projects.
What is the empty homes tax?
The empty homes tax is a City of Vancouver policy that charges a tax on residential properties left vacant. The revenue goes to fund affordable housing projects. The policy is intended to encourage owners to occupy or rent out their homes, and to reduce speculation. As of 2023, the rate stood at 3% of a property's assessed value.
What does COPE say it will do with the empty homes tax?
In the same email reported by Daily Hive, Orr wrote that if elected, COPE would enforce the empty homes tax, close loopholes, and phase in increases to nine per cent. He also wrote that COPE would 'incentivize development without displacement by taxing vacant lots and cracking down on land-banking for profit.' These are COPE's stated plans.
How does this relate to Ken Sim?
Mayor Ken Sim leads ABC Vancouver and is seeking re-election in the October 17 vote. Orr's email directed his criticism at both the party and the mayor. The ABC majority in City Council voted in 2023 to keep the empty homes tax at 3% and adopted the Klassen amendment that resulted in $3.8 million being returned to developers. ABC has not issued a separate response from Sim personally; the party response came from a spokesperson.
When is voting day in Vancouver?
Voting day is October 17, 2026. Advance voting days are October 3, 7, 10 and 13, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 59 locations across the city. On election day itself, 85 voting places are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mail-in ballots are also available. You can find voting place addresses, hours, and voter eligibility details at the where-to-vote page on this site.
Where can I find out more about COPE and ABC Vancouver?
Party pages on this site set out what COPE and ABC Vancouver have said during this campaign, based on their own published statements and on news reporting. The COPE page is at /parties/cope and the ABC Vancouver page is at /parties/abc-vancouver.
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