New Westminster Mayor Wayne Wright said there is "no way" he could support a property tax increase to pay for construction of the Evergreen line and other transportation initiatives.
Wright was in the minority Friday when Metro Vancouver mayors supported increases to regional gasoline and property taxes to help pay for a $700 million capital plan, which includes funds for the Evergreen transit line, major road network improvements, expanded bus service hours, rapid bus service from Langley to Lougheed SkyTrain station, SkyTrain station upgrades and SeaBus improvements and cycling network infrastructure. Many of those on TransLink's Mayors Council didn't like the idea of increasing property taxes but felt they had no alternative because it would allow the region to proceed on a variety of goods-movement and transit initiatives.
Wright said he previously joined mayors in agreeing not to support property tax increases to fund TransLink initiatives.
"It was pretty difficult for me to go against that," he said. 'I was one of the outspoken ones that property taxes should not be on the table."
By approving the gas tax hike, the mayors paved the way for the province to begin construction of the $1.4 billion Evergreen line, which will extend transit service from Lougheed Town Centre into Coquitlam and Port Moody.
Using a weighted vote based on population, the mayors voted 81 to 34 in favour of the increases. The vote by municipalities was 15 in favour and six against.
Under the proposal, regional gas taxes increase from 15 to 17 cents in April 2012. Increases to property taxes, which would be an average of $23 more per year, could kick in 2013.
"The gas tax will come in for sure - two cents," Wright said. "If we can't get another means of funding, then it will go to property taxes. I am not for that."
Other funding being considered includes the provincial carbon tax and a new road pricing strategy.
Although the property tax hike has been proposed as a two-year measure, some mayors were concerned that it would carry on into subsequent years.
"The real problem is sustainable funding," Wright said. 'I don't think it should be coming from taxation."
The issue of sustainable funding is something Wright would like the mayors to continue discussing with the province.
TransLink officials said they expected the province would issue requests for proposals for the Evergreen line by the end of the year.
While he supports extending transit to the Tri-Cities, Wright said he would have preferred to see an at-grade transit system built into that area, as he thinks it would be better, cheaper and go farther than an elevated transit system.
"At grade, you get more participation from the community. It's cheaper and it's easier to use," he said. "It might be able to go all the way to Port Coquitlam."
The federal government will contribute $417 million and the provincial government will provide $583 million to the Evergreen line.
With Vancouver Sun files
