OneCity budget plan: participatory budgeting and a progressive property tax
OneCity says it would scale participatory budgeting citywide, publish the budget in plain language line by line, explore a progressive property tax so the wealthiest landowners pay more, end tax write-offs for permit holders who do not build, and set fair annual tax rates.
A PLAN TO FIX THE BUDGET & MAKE YOUR VOTE MATTER
Budgeting with Vancouverites' Values: what the Our Plans says
OneCity released its Plan to Fix the Budget & Make Your Vote Matter on September 29, 2026. The party describes ABC's "Zero Means Zero" budget as service cuts. The first group of commitments is about how the city budget is written, explained and paid for. Participatory budgeting would grow to the whole city. That is a process in which residents vote directly on how part of the budget is spent. The budget would also be published in plain language with accounts line by line, so residents can see what they get. Council candidate Frances Bula, quoted in the release, says nobody should need a journalist to explain where their tax dollars go.
On revenue, the party would explore a progressive property tax, meaning a higher rate for the most valuable properties, so the wealthiest landowners pay more. It would end tax write-offs for owners who hold building permits but do not build housing and infrastructure. It would also set what it calls fair annual property tax rates, to protect services and pay for new pipes, parks and pools. Council sets the property tax rate and approves the budget each year, so most of this is Council's work. The page does not say which write-off it means, or whether a tax that rises with property value would need new powers from the Province.
5 COMMITMENTS
What the party says it would do
Participatory Budgeting
OneCity would scale participatory budgeting citywide, giving residents spending power over part of the budget and key information.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council approves the operating budget and can decide to let residents choose how part of it is spent.
A Readable Budget
The party would publish the city budget in plain language with line-by-line accountability, so residents know what they get from their government.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council decides how the city presents and reports its own budget.
Balancing Revenues
OneCity would explore a progressive property tax in Vancouver so the wealthiest landowners, who can afford it, contribute more.
- Who has the power
- City, with others Council sets the property tax rate each year, but the page does not say whether a tax that rises with value would need new powers from the Province.
Cracking Down on Tax Dodgers
The party would end the tax write-offs for owners with building permits who do not build the housing and infrastructure the city needs.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council sets city taxes and permit rules, though the page does not name the write-off it means.
Fighting Austerity
OneCity would protect the services that keep the city running through fair annual property tax rates that make it possible to build new infrastructure such as pipes, parks and pools.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council sets the property tax rate each year and approves the capital plan.
WHO WOULD HAVE TO ACT
Where the power sits for this chapter
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Questions about budgeting with vancouverites' values
Does OneCity want a progressive property tax in Vancouver?
OneCity says it would explore a progressive property tax so the wealthiest landowners, who can afford it, contribute more. The page does not give rates or say which properties would pay more (OneCity budget and ballot plan, September 29, 2026).
What is participatory budgeting in OneCity's plan?
Participatory budgeting lets residents vote directly on how part of the city budget is spent. OneCity says it would scale it citywide and give residents key budget information (OneCity budget and ballot plan, September 29, 2026).
Would OneCity raise property taxes?
OneCity says it would set what it calls fair annual property tax rates to protect city services and pay for new pipes, parks and pools, and would explore a progressive property tax. It gives no rate or percentage (OneCity budget and ballot plan, September 29, 2026).
What tax write-offs would OneCity end?
OneCity says it would end the tax write-offs for owners who hold building permits but do not build housing and infrastructure. The page does not name the specific write-off (OneCity budget and ballot plan, September 29, 2026).
Who sets property taxes in Vancouver?
City Council sets the property tax rate each year and approves the operating budget. OneCity's budget commitments would be decided there, though the page does not say whether a progressive property tax would need new provincial powers (OneCity budget and ballot plan, September 29, 2026).
ON THE BALLOT
The OneCity candidates behind this
Sources
Every commitment on this page comes from the party's own material, marked SAYS SO ITSELF. It proves what the party says it would do. Who holds each power is our own addition, from the sources listed after it.
- OneCity Announces its Plan to Fix the Budget & Make Your Vote Matter SAYS SO ITSELFOneCity · published · checked