Chamber column: Focus on needs not wants in budgets
An excerpt is from The Chamber’s October column in the Business Examiner”
If the largest city in Western Canada can aim for a 0% property tax increase, surely those municipalities with a fraction of Vancouver’s budget can do the same. Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim recently announced that he is directing staff to stop spending money that doesn’t need to be spent — a decisive response to an initial staff recommendation for a 7% increase.
It takes courage to stand up for what’s right, and Sim has been clear that “zero means zero.” This kind of leadership should be inspirational for mayors across the province. On behalf of Greater Victoria’s business community — and everyone concerned about ballooning government spending — The Chamber is calling on all 13 municipalities in our region to follow Vancouver’s lead.
As local governments across BC begin their budget processes this fall, they have an opportunity to demonstrate that they truly support local economic growth. That support starts with restraint.
