onthe It is our view that this step would be an important advance in the rationalization of the transit service tn ‘this regton. Local Government Participation The Board's report proposed that the new transit authority be made up of seven directors: three appointed by the GVRD, three appointed by the Province and one chosen by mutual agreement between the Province and the GVRD. Implicit in the Province's decision to remove the transit function from the GVRD was a policy choice that transit is a provincial rather than a local government responsibility. In the current context, therefore, it is appropriate that the Province appoint all the members of the board cf a regional transit authority. The Province has recognized the existence of local government interests in this service by appointing cnly those who hold elected municipal office to regional transit commissions and to the B.C. Transit Board. In the case of the transit commissions, informal discussions have been held among mayors of neighbouring municipalities to nominate a representative for their area, but the formal appointments are made by the Province. One alternative to this arrangement would be a more formal nomination process, under which the GVRD Board could be given the responsibility of making such nominations. Financing The GVRO Board and its member municipalities have always vigorously resisted the use of the general property tax to pay the local. share of the transit deficit. This tax already bears the burden of financing local school and regional district services, the local share of hospital construction and the B.C. Assessment Authority. While the overall regressivity of the property tax has been the subject of some debate, it remains true that this tax fs relatively inflexible in relation to the economic circumstances of those who pay it, particularly in the short term. Taxes based on income and consumption can be reduced when income drops or.is removed by unemployment, but the property tax liability remains the same. In the current economic conditions, this is an important argument against additional use of the property tax to pay for services. The services currently supported by the property tax are provided by has direct lines of local governments to which the taxpayer and the levels of taxation accountability for the services rendered needed to support them. The Province has made & policy decision tnat the provincial level. It accountability for trans follows that any additional f this service should be provided from provincial not mun