B.C. Liberal leadership candidate Christy Clark is proposing a new “office of the municipal auditor General.”
Clark recently told the British Columbia Chamber of Commerce the office would examine the competition between commercial, industrial and residential taxation formulas and allow for “transparency” of municipal accounting.
Then the province would give advice on financial decisions and ensure accountability, she added.
“Small towns, in particular, have an issue of capacity and this office would help meet those needs. A municipal tax review will examine whether the system is fair and that no one group is carrying an unfair burden….”
Following a municipal taxation and responsibility review, Clark promised she would work with the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) to ensure the system is properly funded and communities can provide the services British Columbians want from local government.
Meanwhile 100 Mile Mayor Mitch Campsall said he is “totally against” the idea and noted the issue stems from some large sawmills on Vancouver Island.
“This whole thing is dealing with heavy industrial areas. If you start taking the tax burden away from them, where do you put it?”
While it doesn’t affect 100 Mile as much as some others, the mayor said that burden shouldn’t be passed on to business and residential taxpayers.
Noting he is a card-carrying B.C. Liberal, Campsall said he isn’t the least bit pleased to see a leadership candidate promoting such ideas.
“It’s a gimmick and a ploy to get elected, and it’s not going to wash very well.”
UBCM already dealt with this issue and every municipality consulted was against making changes to open up the taxation formula for changes, Campsall explained.
Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett said she agrees the taxation issue has already been adequately reviewed and added she is not in favour of Clark’s plan.
“I don’t believe we need any more red tape in the way government does their business. I was a mayor for 18 years, and I can tell you that, basically, municipalities are very well monitored.”
She explained there is a very real problem with local government taxation in B.C., but that it can only be resolved through finding ways to reduce spending or new avenues of revenue.
“We don’t need any more investigation as to what the problem is.”
Both Campsall and Barnett noted municipalities are already the most transparent of all levels of government.
South Cariboo Chamber of Commerce manager Christine Jordaan said she has notified the membership of the issue, but declined to comment further until after the board meets and has a chance to discuss the issue in early March.
