Civic Leaders Debate 'Rape Culture'

Posted on 9/25/2015 by Pete McIntyre
B.C.'s municipal leaders want the province to take a closer look at the so called "rape culture" in society.Vernon Mayor Akbal Mund says the resolution from Northern Municipalities passed at the Union of BC Municipalities conference in Vancouver, and next goes to the B.C. government to consider a task force. "To determine the steps needed to erase the rape culture that is pervasive in schools, universities, work places, and elsewhere across Canada," says Mund, who was reading from the actual resolution. Mund says another part of the motion is that all hospitals should have rape kits, which he says is apparently not the case now.

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A city of Vernon resolution to help small businesses was defeated by a slim margin at the Union of BC Municipalities conference. Mayor Akbal Mund says the motion from councillor Bob Spiers was for the province to raise the statutory property exemption from $10,000 -- to $50,000, for Business Class 6 assessments. The idea was to provide small business a fair exemption for their increased increased assessed property value. Mund says the issue has been brought up in year's past, and defeated, but this time, every vote had to be counted. "That's how close it was, and it was defeated 52 to 48%," says Mund. Mund says 81 percent of the businesses in B.C. are classified as small.
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Don Quixote Note:
History of resolution at UBCM:

UBCM RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: Not Endorse Business Tax exemption

http://www.ubcm.ca/assets/Resolutions~and~Policy/Resolutions/2015-ResolutionsBook-for-web_lowres.pdf

UBCM RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: Not Endorse

UBCM Resolutions ONLINE

2012 UBCM Resolutions [PDF - 1.2 MB]

Of interest are the resolutions that have not been endorsed by the UBCM Resolution Committee and fall into the General B category that will ultimately be a  block vote. Any resolution in this category will only be brought up for separate debate if a motion to bring it up is presented on the floor and the floor agrees to debate it and to vote on it separately. If the resolution remains in the Block B Category they will be in effect rejected because of their "Not endorsed' status.

Vernon Has Proposed Several Resolutions that have not been endorsed.:

• B138    BUSINESS CLASS EXEMPTION    Vernon  Page 121-122
  WHEREAS the statutory property exemption for business Class 6 assessments is $10,000, regardless of the property value;
  AND WHEREAS the business Class 6 exemption has remained unchanged since implementation in 1984despite increasing assessments:
  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government review the business class exemption for Class 6 assessments and consider an increase to $50,000 for the statutory property exemption, in order to provide small businesses, in the province of British Columbia, a fair exemption for their increased assessed property value.                                               UBCM RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION:    Not Endorse
•  B129    SCHOOL PROPERTY TAX REBATE FOR CLASS 6 BUSINESSES    Vernon P.114
  WHEREAS the Province announced that 50% of all school property taxes will be rebated to light and heavy industry (Class 4 and 5) annually, to lower their costs and help them grow:
  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that businesses in Class 6 should also benefit from this program designed to assist businesses in paying their bills, reinvest and maintain jobs, especially in rural communities, without downloading any costs to local governments.      UBCM RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION:    Not Endorse

A Small Business Tax Break

Vernon is Sponsoring this resolution at the UBCM in Sept 2012.  This is the 4th time this has gone to UBCM. History of the last 3 resolutions is shown below. We are 2 of 3 at getting it approved by UBCM but 0 for 2 on Province accepting it. The Ironic thing is that the Province rejected it because the present economic outlook is extremely promising for the Province as a whole

• WHEREAS the statutory property exemption for business Class 6 assessments is $10,000, regardless of the property value; AND WHEREAS the business Class 6 exemption has remained unchanged since implementation in 1984 despite increasing assessments: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government review the business class exemption for Class 6 assessment and consider an increase to $50,000 for the statutory property exemption, in order to provide small businesses, in the Province of British Columbia, a fair exemption for their increased assessed property value.

 HISTORY

July 11/2005 Don Quixote presented this idea for a small business property tax break at the last council meeting July 11/2005 They were asked to check the numbers and the feasibility of this proposal and to endorse its implementation to the Provincial Government through our local MLA. I maintain that the local small businesses (drug store, local pub, local radio station or locksmith) should be taxed at a different rate than the big businesses (banks, Walmart, Staples etc.). I was told that this was not allowed by provincial regulation. On closer examination I discovered that the big businesses were already paying at a higher effective rate than the smaller ones and had been doing so since 1984. In 1983 there were no exemptions to property assessments. In 1984 the first $10,000 of property assessment has been exempted and this continues to this present day. Now if the total amount to be taxed to the entire business class is a hypothetical $1,000,000 than the tax charged to the individual businesses changed from 1983 to 1984. It is obvious that a $10,000 exemption is worth more to a small owner whose property is assessed at $100,000 (10%) than the big owner whose property is assessed at $1,000,000 (1%)

Since then this has gone to the UBCM 3 times, (2007, 2008, 2009):

• 2007

  B121

  business tax exemption

  Endorsed

  Vernon

  View

   Provincial Response: The property tax exemptions for Class 4, Industrial, 5, Light Industrial and 6, Business, improvements were prescribed by regulation in 1984 in response to a severe downturn in the general economy of the Province of British Columbia (Province). The exemptions were intended to provide assistance to small business enterprises throughout the Province. Although not all areas of the Province share in the current economic wellbeing, the present economic outlook is extremely promising for the Province as a whole. There is no need to provide such assistance province wide at this time.

• 2008

  B26

  Business Class Exemption

  Endorsed

  Vernon

  View

Provincial Response: Amendments enacted to Section 226 of the Community Charter (CC) provide municipalities with the opportunity to provide for revitalization tax exemptions for any revitalization objectives, including economic revitalization. These provisions will allow a municipality to target the kinds of economic activities and investment which will be in the best interests of the community.

2009

B95

Business Class Exemption-

Not Considered - Automatic Referral to Executive

Vernon

View

Executive Decision Not Endorsed

 

Effect Of A $40,000 Exemption increase on Local Business: (2007 & 2010 )- 2012 will be posted shortly when I get Folio Count Received  Sept 20.)

2010 effect of $40,000 Exemption Increase

2007 effect of $40,000 Exemption Increase

Minister Pans Wage Hike

  Peter McIntyre Thursday, 07 October 2010 16:44107.5 KISSFM

BC's Small Business Minister says there's no appetite in the business community to raise the province's minimum wage. At a stop in Vernon, Iain Black (pictured) told Kiss FM, an increase to the current 8-dollar an hour wage, would hurt small merchants, which make up 98 percent of the province's businesses. "Raising the minimum wage as has been proposed by some of the union leaders, to ten dollars an hour, would cost small businesses in this proivnce about 255 million dollars, and is estimated to eliminate or threaten 55 thousand jobs almost overnight." When asked if the Liberal government is considering a hike, Black says it's an ongoing policy discussion for the Labour Minister.  Meantime, the Okanagan is leading the province in terms of small business growth.  That was the word from the Small Business Minister who spoke to the Vernon Chamber of Commerce Thursday."According the small business profile, the Thompson Okanagan ranked first in BC for net growth in new small businesses in the last couple of years. It's about a nine percent increases which represents over 4,400 new small businesses operating in the region."Chamber president and small business owner Deb Leroux says the economy has created challenges. "But I'm very proud of what the Okanagan has been able to contain, keep and grow, and that they are still enthusiastic people, passionate about their businesses." Black says there's almost 396,000 small businesses in BC, which accounts for 98 percent of all the businesses.

Businesses after cap on taxes

Lachlan Labere - Salmon Arm Observer Published: August 31, 2010 6:00 PM

City of Salmon Arm residential taxpayers could be facing higher taxes down the road as B.C. businesses lobby to cap mill rates. Commenting briefly at last week’s council meeting on the recently released 2009 Annual Report, Coun. Kevin Flynn pointed to a list of the city’s principal taxpayers – a mix of 28 companies – that paid 12.492 per cent or more than $3 million of the total taxes collected that year. Flynn explained that there is ongoing discussion at the Union of B.C. Municipalities about adjusting municipal multiplier rates to address this imbalance. “I think we might be in a position where our major industry multiplier – a cap may be forced on us by the province,” said Flynn.“We’re not sure, but that’s what’s being discussed. And so we may have an impact where we may not be able to charge our major industry the multiplier that we do.”Later, Mayor Marty Bootsma shared with the Observer his concerns over this possible move by the province. “I guess the municipality’s fear is that the province will mandate what the rate will be, and whether or not I agree with a particular rate, what I don’t like to see is that power taken away from the municipalities,” said Bootsma. “Because as soon as we lower one tax, it’s like a balloon, somebody else is going to have to make up the difference, and that’s going to be the residents of course. And of course the residents depend on the businesses – many of them work there.”

A recent study by the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses jumped on B.C. municipalities for overtaxing small businesses. The report claims Salmon Arm is the 68th worst municipality out of 160 for this, and that Salmon Arm businesses, on average, pay three times the amount that residential taxpayers do. “I’m not sure they’re comparing apples to apples,” says Bootsma, noting Salmon Arm residents pay 65 per cent of tax dollars. “For example, we have a parcel tax for transportation, and this is not an ad valorem tax, so a business gets taxed on an equal footing as residents… and that makes a big difference.” Bootsma adds that in 2009 the city compared Salmon Arm’s tax rates with those of Kelowna, Vernon, Kamloops and Nelson and found Salmon Arm’s to be lower. “Obviously businesses would like to pay less and residents would like to pay less, we’d all like to pay less,” said Bootsma.

Vernon Small Biz

Starlee Speers - Vernon 107.5 SUNFM

One of Vernon's new councillors says there needs to be a focus on small business in the community. Mary Jo O'Keefe says she has concerns about a staff recommendation to deny a rezoning application until a specific use and redevelopment plan was submitted. O'Keefe says small business needs to be given a base by which they can succeed and city plans to redesign part of 31st avenue downtown will help with that. She's supportive of a designated tour bus parking zone in the downtown core as 30-40 people could be dropped off to go shopping at one time. O'Keefe says council needs policies which are conducive to encouraging business.The new councillor is the past president of the downtown Vernon Association.

UBCM Resolutions From Vernon (Business Class exemption ENDORSED )

B26 BUSINESS CLASS EXEMPTION Vernon
WHEREAS the statutory property exemption for business Class 6 assessments is $10,000, regardless of the property value; AND WHEREAS the business Class 6 exemption has remained unchanged since implementation in 1984 despite increasing assessments:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government review the business class exemption for Class 6 assessments and consider an increase to $50,000 for the statutory property exemption, in order to provide small businesses, in the Province of British Columbia, a fair exemption for their increased assessed property value.

NOT PRESENTED TO THE SOUTHERN INTERIOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION
UBCM RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: Endorse
UBCM RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE COMMENTS:
The Resolutions Committee notes UBCM membership endorsed resolution 2007-B121 requesting that the provincial government “review the business class exemption for Class 6 assessments and consider a significant increase in the statutory property exemption, in order to provide small businesses, in the Province of British Columbia, a fair exemption for their increased assessed property value.” Similar resolutions in 2000 and 2001 requesting that the Province be requested to increase the business class assessment exemption from $10,000 to $20,000 were not endorsed. At that time in its comments the Resolutions Committee noted that an increase in the assessment exemption is potentially just a redistribution of the tax burden among businesses. If the local government maintains its business class tax allocation, then the result is just to reallocate the tax burden to other businesses.
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Don Quixote Note:
Vernon sent 4 resolutions to the UBCM screening committee and this is the only one that was ENDORSED for debate on the Convention Floor. Two others have been referred to UBCM executive to be discussed only after a Government review of the implementation of the recommendations from the 2003 Regional Hospital District Cost Sharing Review is issued. (Scheduled for the fall). The other one has been rolled into a UBCM paper that will form a resolution under the Umbrella Title of Fiscal Imbalance Policy Paper. (Paper not yet published !)

BUSINESS TAX EXEMPTION WILL PROCEED TO UBCM AGAIN.

This is the motion that was introduced by City Council and ENDORSED by UBCM last year. the Province response was:

Response: Ministry of Community Services
The property tax exemptions for Class 4, Industrial, 5, Light Industrial and 6, Business, improvements were prescribed by regulation in 1984 in response to a severe downturn in the general economy of the Province of British Columbia (Province). The exemptions were intended to provide assistance to small business enterprises throughout the Province. Although not all areas of the Province share in the current economic wellbeing, the present economic outlook is extremely promising for the Province as a whole. There is no need to provide such assistance province wide at this time.

Amendments enacted to Section 226 of the Community Charter provide municipalities with the opportunity to provide for revitalization tax exemptions for any revitalization objectives, including economic revitalization. These provisions will allow a municipality to target the kinds of economic activities and investment which will be in the best interests of the community.
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A detailed posting on the recent history of this proposal can be found at: BUSINESS TAX EXEMPTION to be pushed by Council ?
The Net effect on a business can be seen in the table on the left.

Hopefully the City of Vernon will elicit the written support of the Local Chamber of Commerce and their related counterparts in other cities. The written and public support of the DVA for the first time would also be helpful in making the Province wake up and smell the roses.

An articulate spokesman who can understand this resolution and who can intellectually persuade the government must be drafted to go to UBCM.

This motion to proceed was introduced and passed unanimously at Council last Monday as well as a resolution that the Province reexamine its entire property assessment system. Lets get it adopted by the Province in the last year of this Council. It could be one of the few enduring legacies of this Mayor and Council.

BUSINESS TAX EXEMPTION to be pushed by Council ?

Click on image to see effect on business for an increase in exemption from $10,000 to $50,000 with the City still receiving the same amount of taxes from this class.

Last year the Vernon City Council by an unanimous vote supported by the Local Chamber of Commerce in writing but not by the DVA brought a resolution to UBCM that was adopted by that convention. The Provincial response to that resolution is shown below. The key part of that reply is "There is no need to provide such assistance province wide at this time."
The province did acknowledge the purpose of that first $10,000 exemption passed in 1984 to be: "The exemptions were intended to provide assistance to small business enterprises"

Now 24 years later despite inflation and vastly higher assessments with the resultant larger disparity between the small local business and the big banks and box stores the Province has indicated that they will not change the exemption rate on a province wide basis.

• Will the City of Vernon reintroduce this resolution asking for the ability of local Government to make an assessment exemption adjustment in their own taxing jurisdiction?
• Will the City of Vernon make this a project that they will communicate to all municipalities in the province and send an accomplished Council Member that can forcefully advocate this long overdue reform at the UBCM convention in September ?
  
• Will the Chamber of Commerce not only support the local Council in writing again but advocate their support to other Chambers of Commerce throughout the Province?
• Will the DVA show their support for this initiative that will benefit the smaller businesses in this City?
  

Provincial Response to B121 BUSINESS TAX EXEMPTION
WHEREAS the statutory property exemption for business Class 6 assessments is $10,000 regardless of the property value; AND WHEREAS the business Class 6 exemption has remained unchanged since implementation in 1984 despite increasing assessments:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government review the business class exemption for Class 6 assessments and consider a significant increase in the statutory property exemption, in order to provide small businesses, in the Province of British Columbia, a fair exemption for their increased assessed property value.

Response: Ministry of Community Services
The property tax exemptions for Class 4, Industrial, 5, Light Industrial and 6, Business, improvements were prescribed by regulation in 1984 in response to a severe downturn in the general economy of the Province of British Columbia (Province). The exemptions were intended to provide assistance to small business enterprises throughout the Province. Although not all areas of the Province share in the current economic wellbeing, the present economic outlook is extremely promising for the Province as a whole. There is no need to provide such assistance province wide at this time.

Amendments enacted to Section 226 of the Community Charter provide municipalities with the opportunity to provide for revitalization tax exemptions for any revitalization objectives, including economic revitalization. These provisions will allow a municipality to target the kinds of economic activities and investment which will be in the best interests of the community.

UBCM Resolutions Database Results - Mayor Lippert to give verbal report at COW meeting Tuesday at 8:40 AM

UBCM RESOLUTIONS OUTCOME:

The above link has the summary of the resolutions, amendments and positions adopted at the
2007 Convention, as well as policy discussion outcomes. The full and exact wording of all
resolutions, amendments and policy papers will appear in the Convention Minutes.

Vernon presented 4 resolutions and the results are as follows:

1. B58 HOMELESSNESS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING Endorsed
2. B121 BUSINESS TAX EXEMPTION Endorsed
3. B154 HOSPITAL CAPITAL COST FINANCING Not Endorsed
   
4. B193 CANADIAN POLICE AND PEACE OFFICERS MEMORIAL Endorsed
   

Vernon bats .750 at UBCM Resolution Endorsement Committee !

• B154 HOSPITAL CAPITAL COST FINANCING : THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Provincial Government assume 100% responsibility of capital hospital expenditures for all municipalities in British Columbia and eliminate the hospital property tax imposed on taxpayers outside the Greater Vancouver Regional District area.
• B121 BUSINESS TAX EXEMPTION : THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Provincial Government review the Business Class exemption for Class 6 assessments and consider a significant increase in the statutory property exemption, in order to provide small businesses, in the Province of British Columbia, a fair exemption for their increased assessed property value.
• B193 CANADIAN POLICE AND PEACE OFFICERS MEMORIAL :THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province of British Columbia lobby, on behalf of all Auxiliary Police Officers in the Province of BC, who are appointed under the BC Police Act, status to qualify for recognition under the Canadian Police and Peace Officers Memorial in Ottawa.
• B 58 HOMELESSNESS :
  

Vernon bats .750 at UBCM Resolution Endorsement Committee !

UBCM TABLE OF CONTENTS RESOLUTIONS

The 2007 UBCM Convention will be held in Vancouver, BC from September 24-28

Vernon sponsored 4 resolutions to UBCM - 3 of which have been endorsed by Resolutions Committee: CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE:

ENDORSE:

Glen Evely Memorial

Homelessness and affordable housing

Business tax excemption

NOT ENDORSE

Hospital Capital Cost Financing

Small business roundtable comes to town

http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/ News Briefs June 20

The B.C. Ministry of Small Business and Renevue, with Minister Rick Thorpe, will be hosting a consultation in Vernon July 12 as part of the activities of the small business roundtable this year. “This is an opportunity to help make British Columbia Canada’s most small-business-friendly jurisdiction,” said Thorpe, who is also Minister Responsible for Regulatory Reform. “The knowledge on business opportunities you will bring to our table will greatly assist us in further improving the small business climate in British Columbia.”

The opportunity for entrepreneurs and small business owners/operators to have their voices heard by government takes place at the Best Western Vernon Lodge from 5 to 7:30 p.m., there is limited seating. To register, visit www.smallbusinessroundtable.ca or by calling 250-356-8797 or 1-800-663-7867.
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Hopefully the City, DVA and Chamber of Commerce will use the opportunity to lobby for the following resolution that Vernon City Council is sending to UBCM:

by Councillor Beardsell, seconded by Councillor Cunningham: Moved THAT Council forward a resolution to UBCM, OMMA, the Chamber of Commerce and Tom Christensen, MLA recommending that they encourage the Provincial Government to increase the “$10,000 statutory property exemption” for business (Class 6 assessment). CARRIED.

Small business tax break to move forward on Monday?

COUNCIL TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION TO UBCM:
MINUTES OF A REGULAR OPEN MEETING OF COUNCIL HELD MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2007 http://www.vernon.ca/council/documents/2007/minutes/minutes_070423.pdf

• by Councillor Beardsell, seconded by Councillor Cunningham: Moved THAT Council forward a resolution to UBCM, OMMA, the Chamber of Commerce and Tom Christensen, MLA recommending that they encourage the Provincial Government to increase the “$10,000 statutory property exemption” for business (Class 6 assessment). CARRIED.

On Monday June 11 at COW MEETING:Memo dated June 2007, from Union of BC Municipalities, re: Call for Nominations for UBCM Executive. (P. 103) •• Consideration of Resolutions for submission ••

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06/08 Don Quixote Note: Hopefully the Chamber of Commerce and the DVA have been asked to support this resolution and are providing letters supporting it.Past Postings on this Matter:Business Exemption increase Effect on different sized property values ! Will the D.V.A., Chamber of Commerce or City Council stand up for the small businesman ??? Will the D.V.A., Chamber of Commerce or City Council stand up for the small businesman ??? (Original)

The business assist factor

What is the effect of having business in our city? As we increase our non-residential tax base do we reduce the tax burden on residential tax payers? The table below shows the effect that Business (etc) has on our residential tax rate. The higher the assist factor the more taxes are reduced to the residential taxpayer. The first table illustrates the progress in Vernon from 2001 to 2007. (The business assist factor © is a way of measuring how increased non residential property assessments in our community affects the residential tax base. It is a different measure than the tax ratio method although there is some correlation.) The second table shows our relative standing with other cities in 2006.

The business assist factor is easily calculated by taking the % total Assessment of the Residential class, subtracting the % total taxes paid and expressing that product result as a % of total assessment.( (%Ass-%Tax) /Total Ass.)

Since 2001 the Non Residential Class (Business, industry, utilities etc.) has tended to trend upward indicating that they were shouldering a bigger part of the tax burden and helping the residential tax class. This trend was stopped abruptly in 2007 when the Residential Tax Class was hit with a 4.95% tax increase while the Business tax class was the beneficiary of a 6.6% tax decrease.

Click on Table to Enlarge

Business Exemption increase Effect on different sized property values !

Click on Table to Enlarge:

Finally after 2 years or more of harping and talking about this idea to the City Council, the DVA and the Chamber of Commerce it has taken its first small step forward.

At the Last Council meeting, Coun. Beardsell introduced a resolution, seconded by Coun. Cunningham and passed by an unanimous vote to send the proposal to increase the exemption amount that businesses presently get on improvements to their property from the $10,000 that was introduced in 1984 to $50,000 and to send this on to UBCM and Okanagan Mainline Municipal Association for their consideration.

The history of this proposal and some more details can be found at Will the D.V.A., Chamber of Commerce or City Council stand up for the small businesman ??? or any of the posts at category small business tax break .

Hopefully the DVA and Chamber of Commerce will show their support for the small businesses that form the majority of their membership and back up the City Council who has taken this initiative.

Don Quixote's Questions to be answered Monday ??

Agenda Pkg 1 (P.85 on bottom or page 101 of Agenda package.) will show you the Finance Manager's replies to some of my questions that were given to Finance Committe and now to the full council. Below are links to my original questions and some of my rants about council's delay in debating them at an full open Council meeting.

Because I still felt that some of the more important questions had been missed I sent the following e-mail to the Finance Manager and the Finance chairman Sept 15.
EMAIL SEPT 15:

• Thanks for your answers to the questions and observations that I made. Although your answers were quite comprehensive and will serve as a great starting point at the full Council meeting, I felt that I should clarify a few points.
  My concern about the Airport getting monies in advance of actual need for capital projects and the difference between the $500,000 that should remain in the runway account and the $414,933 in the bank account at year end was finally answered by Mr Gous who stated that there had been approximately $90,000 in capital expenditures in 2005. (This must have been the net after amortization which actually saw a $95,026 increase in Property, Plant and equipment).
  However the majority of the spending in this category was in Equipment ($132,978), Automotive ($39,497) with lesser spending in Buildings ($1,427) and the Tarmac and Roads of only $16,336.
  $357,458 in 2004 broken down on the city’s books as 157,458 capital spending and $250,000 for SPECIAL PROJECTS and the $250,000 in 2005 listed as SPECIAL PROJECTS and the 2006 proposed amount of $250,000 is listed as SPECIAL PROJECTS. I was under the impression that this money was only to be used for the RUNWAY EXTENSION. Even conceding the $16,336 in Tarmac account could be the beginning of the runway extension that still leads a difference that I can not reconcile. Hopefully the Councillors will be satisfied with the explanation at the next meeting.
• The point that you missed responding to completely and I missed at the Finance meeting was my question of discussing with the DVA at your proposed retreat the possibility of raising the business tax exemption from $10,000 to a more realistic $50,000. I talked with one of the DVA directors and they were aware of the idea and would be opened to discussions. Hopefully this idea if approved can be on the agenda at the UBCM meetings with ministers etc. (WE both missed probably because it was on the bottom of the page after 2 boring tables of ratios etc.)
• The light industrial and utilities tax ratio report reevaluation was requested by council to be completed by Oct 1 2006 and I look forward to this report. In regards to these two ratios I have several excel spreadsheets analysis that I have given to council before. I would be only too happy to send to you if you wish.
• The heavy Industrial question and how Vernon will vote at UBCM will be the subject of much debate I expect.

Thanks for your responses and setting the plate for a frank debate at open Council.


A listing of my concerns and questions are found at:
http://vernonblog.blogspot.com/2006/08/will-don-quixote-meets-wall-of-silence.html
WILL DON QUIXOTE MEETS A WALL OF SILENCE TODAY??
http://vernonblog.blogspot.com/2006/07/will-dva-chamber-of-commerce-or-city.html
Will the D.V.A., Chamber of Commerce or City Council stand up for the small businessman ???
http://vernonblog.blogspot.com/2006/07/don-quixote-at-annual-report-public_25.html
DON QUIXOTE AT THE ANNUAL REPORT PUBLIC INPUT SESSION (PART 2 of 2)
http://vernonblog.blogspot.com/2006/07/don-quixote-at-annual-report-public.html
DON QUIXOTE AT THE ANNUAL REPORT PUBLIC INPUT SESSION (PART 1 of 2)

Will the D.V.A., Chamber of Commerce or City Council stand up for the small businesman ???

On Tuesday The DVA and City Council had a 2 hour meeting at a restaurant in downtown Vernon. Despite my request to have the City bring up the matter of a small business tax break with the DVA it was not done.

Full Rant by Don Quixote (excerpt below)
JULY 24/2006 Suggested that the council bring up the subject of raising the business tax exemption from $10,000 to $50,000 with the DVA at their upcoming meeting. This exemption is in the bailiwick of the Province but if it was championed at UBCM and ministerial meetings then it might be the way to help small businesses in our city

July 11/2005 Don Quixote presented this idea for a small business property tax break at the last council meeting July 11/2005 They were asked to check the numbers and the feasibility of this proposal and to endorse its implementation to the Provincial Government through our local MLA. I maintain that the local small businesses (drug store, local pub, local radio station or locksmith) should be taxed at a different rate than the big businesses (banks, Walmart, Staples etc.). I was told that this was not allowed by provincial regulation. On closer examination I discovered that the big businesses were already paying at a higher effective rate than the smaller ones and had been doing so since 1984. In 1983 there were no exemptions to property assessments. In 1984 the first $10,000 of property assessment has been exempted and this continues to this present day. Now if the total amount to be taxed to the entire business class is a hypothetical $1,000,00 than the tax charged to the individual businesses changed from 1983 to 1984. It is obvious that a $10,000 exemption is worth more to a small owner whose property is assessed at $100,000 (10%) than the big owner whose property is assessed at $1,000,000 (1%) PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PROPOSAL. THERE WOULD BE NO EFFECT ON THE RESIDENTIAL TAXPAYER.

Will the D.V.A., Chamber of Commerce or City Council stand up for the small businesman ???

Did you know that in 2006 according to the City's Finance department that the average Business Property Assessment went up 8%. However 2 of the local banks only increased by 2.6% and 1 actually decreased by 2.8%.
Don Quixote Note:
I've been pushing a simple plan to help lower the property tax burden on the small business owner in this area. It takes a leadership role to champion the cause and persuade the Provincial Government to change its legislation re the property tax exemption already given to all business from $10,000 to $50,000 (or any other figure agreed upon). You can see by the history of my previous postings that I have asked the City Council, D.V.A. and the Chamber of Commerce to take up the fight but to no avail. Once again at the last Council Meeting with the new head of the D.V.A. in the audience I suggested that they get together and discuss the idea so The City could take it to the UBCM meetings in the fall.
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JULY 24/2006 Suggested that the council bring up the subject of raising the business tax exemption from $10,000 to $50,000 with the DVA at their upcoming meeting. This exemption is in the balliwick of the Province but if it was championed at UBCM and ministerial meetings then it might be the way to help small businesses in our city
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May 8. 2006 A Small Business Property Tax Break While I'm on the help local business theme I am reintroducing an idea that even the Council Watchdog has indicated has merit. I call it A small business tax break . Naturally the local press ignored it because it contained big mind numbing number I guess. It was presented to representatives of the DVA and Chamber of Commerce with no response. Small local business people who have seen the proposal are quite impressed but no one will take a lead to make it an item on the provincial Agenda. The bottom line is that this proposal would allow the small business owner to pay less municipal property tax while the big business (read BIG BANKS, WALMART, BOX STORES [whose profits leave Vernon in most cases]) would pay more. I actually proposed this plan to city Council during the budget input meeting in Feb 2006 but it seems to have been forgotten. Now I know the Chamber of Commerce and the DVA represents both types of businesses (Big and Small) but surely they can get off their ASS and explain to their members why they can not support this idea and lobby their local Council and their local MLA. Let's lighten the load on small local businesses. Maybe the CITY COUNCIL can ask the DVA for their opinion on this tax matter when the BIA extension comes to Council shortly. --------------------------------------------------------------
July 11/2005 Don Quixote presented this idea for a small business property tax break at the last council meeting July 11/2005 They were asked to check the numbers and the feasibility of this proposal and to endorse its implementation to the Provincial Government through our local MLA. I maintain that the local small businesses (drug store, local pub, local radio station or locksmith) should be taxed at a different rate than the big businesses (banks, Walmart, Staples etc.). I was told that this was not allowed by provincial regulation. On closer examination I discovered that the big businesses were already paying at a higher effective rate than the smaller ones and had been doing so since 1984. In 1983 there were no exemptions to property assessments. In 1984 the first $10,000 of property assessment has been exempted and this continues to this present day. Now if the total amount to be taxed to the entire business class is a hypothetical $1,000,00 than the tax charged to the individual businesses changed from 1983 to 1984. It is obvious that a $10,000 exemption is worth more to a small owner whose property is assessed at $100,000 (10%) than the big owner whose property is assessed at $1,000,000 (1%) PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PROPOSAL. THERE WOULD BE NO EFFECT ON THE RESIDENTIAL TAXPAYER.