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- THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF PGRT COQUITLAM
MEMORANDUM FEB

TO: Mayor and Council February lst, 1980

FROM: Alderman P.F. Ranger

Re: Order-in-Council #80/80 (attached).

This memorandum is not to be construed as an expression of ungratefulness. We,
the citizens and taxpayers of our fair City are most grateful that the Provincial
Government sees fit from time to time, to return to our coffers some of the money
that they take away from us.

However, the nonsense contained in Order-in-Council #80/80 would not be necessary
1f we were not overtaxed in the first place.

Tax notices are a repugnant but necessary legal document showing the various kinds
of taxes being levied and how dollar totals are arrived at. Much thought has gone
into their format so the recipient can identify now much it is going to cost for the
various services rendered during the taxation year.

Now the Provincial Government is ordering Municipalities to use this document to
spread their propaganda: “Last year without provincial government revenue
sharing your general municipal taxes would have increased by _ per cent
to provide similar levels of service."

This starement implies that the Provincial Government is rescuing the poor taxpayer
from the clutches of greedy municipal governments. Following are a few facts about
Provincial - Municipal finances. The figures are from a report dated June 20, 1978
and were compiled by U.B.C.M. staff, based on the experience of 139 municipalities
in B.C.

Comparison of Tax Levy Increases, 1978 compared to 1977:

Property taxes for general purposes increased by an 2rage
of 7.6% in all municipalities in 1978.

An actual decrease was experienced by 19 municipalities.

Taxes for school purposes increased by an average of 15.5%
{Province reduced their share).

Taxes for regional district purposes increased by an average of 15.92%.

Taxes for regional hospital districts increased by an average of
23.5% (Province reduced their stare).

Taxes levied by the B.C. Assessment Authority increased by 23.5%.
(Province increased our share.)

Items 3,4,5 and 6 are taxes that municipalities collect for ether agencies and
over which they have no control. Add to this list welfare, which we collect
for the Provincial Dept. of Human Resources.