New Westminster city council could be seeking support from its peers around the region for motions related to issues like traffic fines and a vacant property tax for commercial properties.
The Feb. 13 city council agenda includes a number of notices of motions from members of council that will be considered at the following council meeting. Three of the notices of motions on the agenda relate to requests for support of initiatives to be taken up at the provincial level.
Here’s a look at some of the upcoming motions that will be considered by city council:
Bringing equity to traffic enforcement
Mayor Patrick Johnstone is proposing a motion that would be submitted to the Lower Mainland Local Government Association for submission to the Union of B.C. Municipalities. Johnstone’s notice of motion states that the primary deterrent for exceeding speed limits or violating other road safety regulations on municipal roads in BC are the fines that are administered under the Violation Ticket Administration and Fines Regulation.
The preamble to the motion goes on to say that fixed rate fines are inequitable, disproportionately impacting people with lower incomes while applying lower deterrent value to people with higher incomes, creating a structural inequity in the application of justice. The motion would ask the UBCM to call upon the provincial government to implement a means-tested traffic fine system, similar to Finland, Switzerland, Sweden or the U.K., where fines may be calculated on the basis of the offender’s income.
Call to Action on creating more equitable municipalities.
This notice of motion, submitted by Coun. Nadine Nakagawa, states that systemic inequities are present in all municipalities and prevent all citizens from fully participating in civic life. The motion’s preamble states that numerous municipalities have made progress toward becoming more equitable by committing to embed equity in all government action through the use of analytical processes for the assessment of systemic inequalities.
If approved by council, it, too, would be submitted to the Lower Mainland Local Government Association for submission to the Union of B.C. Municipalities. It calls upon the provincial and the federal governments to provide resources and policy direction to enable municipalities to implement processes across municipal capital investments, operations and strategic initiatives, and, once created, urge municipalities to use the resources to make measurable progress towards dismantle systemic inequality in communities.
Vacant property tax on commercial properties
Coun. Ruby Campbell has submitted a notice of motion which, if supported by council, would go to the Lower Mainland Local Government Association’s conference for consideration at the UBCM meeting.
Campbell’s motion states that commercial property values are inflating provincewide, and increasingly face investment speculation resulting in similar underutilization of commercial property in many municipalities across British Columbia. The motion is to have the Province of B.C. provide local governments with an option to introduce a vacant property tax applicable to commercial properties.
LMLGA and UBCM?
The Lower Mainland Local Government Association, which includes 30 local governments (from Pemberton to Hope) and three regional districts, will hold its annual conference in May. The Union of B.C Municipalities will consider resolutions at its September conference.
