Vote Vancouver on money: end the 0% tax freeze, housing fund, DTES business
Economic Drivers is the section where Vote Vancouver says how it would fund its platform. It would end what it calls the 0% property tax freeze, use the Vancouver Affordable Housing Endowment Fund with city land, offer incentives for new Downtown Eastside businesses and publish the budget in a clear format.
CITY COUNCIL · PAGES 33 TO 36
The aim of Economic Drivers, in the party's words
Building a sustainable future.
Economic Drivers closes Vote Vancouver's Policy Priorities, on pages 33 to 36. The party says developments, services and upkeep all cost money, and asks how it would fund its platform. Its answer is changes that it says would make investment in the city easier and bring more return to residents. The chapters cover underused spaces, housing money and local business, and the city budget and outside funding.
The party's biggest money promise is to end what it calls the current 0% property tax freeze and replace it with predictable tax increases based on long-term planning. It says the freeze has raised parking costs and cut community services. It would also use the Vancouver Affordable Housing Endowment Fund, together with city land, to build deeply affordable housing, offer incentives such as tax breaks to new Downtown Eastside businesses and publish the city budget online in a clear format.
Council sets the property tax rate, approves the budget, issues business licences and controls city-owned property, so most of this section is within its power. The tax exemption on municipal bonds is a federal decision, and the party says it would ask the federal government for it.
3 CHAPTERS
Every chapter in Economic Drivers
Underused Spaces
Vote Vancouver: vacant buildings for housing, arts spaces and rooftop venues
- Vacant buildings into community-owned housing
- Wider temporary occupancy permits
- Support for the Cultural Land Trust
Housing Fund and Local Business
Vote Vancouver: housing endowment fund, DTES business incentives, event permits
- Affordable Housing Fund with city land
- Affordable housing asset class model
- Deeply affordable housing on public land
Budget, Property Tax and Partnerships
Vote Vancouver: end the 0% property tax freeze and publish a clear budget
- Economic impact study of creative industries
- Cascadia investment
- End the 0% property tax freeze
WHO WOULD HAVE TO ACT
Who holds the power for these 17 commitments
Each chapter page names the body for every commitment and gives the reason in one sentence.
ON THE BALLOT
The Vote Vancouver candidates behind this
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Questions about Economic Drivers
Would Vote Vancouver raise property taxes?
Yes. Vote Vancouver would end what it calls the current 0% property tax freeze and replace it with predictable, sustainable property tax increases based on long-term financial planning. The party says higher taxes are a more predictable way to fund the city than closing community centres (Policy Priorities, page 36).
How would Vote Vancouver pay for affordable housing?
The party would use the Vancouver Affordable Housing Endowment Fund together with city land to build deeply affordable housing directly. It would also look at an affordable housing asset class model to raise money, with pilot projects where 30% of homes are deeply affordable (Policy Priorities, page 35).
What does Vote Vancouver propose for the Downtown Eastside economy?
Vote Vancouver would create incentives, such as tax breaks, for new Downtown Eastside businesses that show a community benefit. It would also run city-owned shops there through a social enterprise operator that picks tenants (Policy Priorities, page 35).
What would Vote Vancouver do for festivals and live music?
The party would simplify permits for festivals, street events and live music and reduce event fees. It would also study the economic impact of the creative industries and work with the Province on tourism funding (Policy Priorities, pages 35 to 36).
Can Vancouver City Council set property taxes on its own?
Yes. Council sets the property tax rate each year and approves the operating budget. Vote Vancouver's platform would use that power to end the 0% freeze it describes (Policy Priorities, page 36).
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.
- Vote Vancouver Policy Priorities SAYS SO ITSELFVote Vancouver · pages 33 to 36 · checked