TransLink levy adds $16 to tax on average home
 

Its share of property tax rises 7.8%
William Boei and Mary Frances Hill, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, April 02, 2009

TransLink said Wednesday it will boost property taxes for the average Metro Vancouver home by $16, more than two-thirds of it as a "replacement tax" for its former tax on parking spaces.

TransLink said in a news release the increase will boost the overall property tax on the average Metro home by "less than one per cent."

However, TransLink's share of the property tax on an average home assessed at $600,000 is rising to $221 from $205, and that's an increase of 7.8 per cent.
Of the $16 increase, $11 -- more than two-thirds -- replaces the $18 million in revenue TransLink collected from the unpopular parking tax in 2007.

The parking tax, levied on businesses that provide free parking spaces, was abolished at the end of 2007 when the provincial government decided to restructure TransLink.

Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan, a director on the previous TransLink board and a critic of its new structure -- with an appointed board -- termed the increase high and said an elected TransLink board wouldn't have approved it.

"[B.C. Transportation minister] Kevin Falcon gave this unelected board the authority to tax," Corrigan said. "This is unusual, to say the least, in Canadian democracy. The bigger story is them trying to spin this," Corrigan added, referring to TransLink's characterization of the hike as "less than one per cent," without mention of the 7.8-per-cent increase.

"It was very cute, and it goes to show we have to watch these guys."

TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie said the release was worded the way it was to avoid confusion on the part of taxpayers.

TransLink said property taxes will contribute just over $263 million of its $1-billion 2009 operating budget, "an increase of 3.0 per cent over 2008."

It said that was within the maximum increase allowed by the provincial legislation that governs it.

In addition, its statement said, TransLink is permitted to raise an additional $18 million to replace the revenue formerly collected through the Parking Site Tax.

"In 2009, the revenue for this 'replacement tax' will be generated from business and residential properties."

TransLink said business property taxes will increase by an average of $59, based on an assessed value of $1.7 million.
http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/...4540dfe3&k=816

GG

damn it why doesnt translink just cut the workers pay or lower there damn fare prices... mayb more people will actually take the damn bus

Why exactly should the workers have their pay cut?

Neither are solutions. :rolleyes: Even if the bus is free, majority of people will NOT take public transit for a multitude of reasons.

Actually, I'll bet a lot of people in Richmond are gonna leave their cars (to and from work at least) come Labour Day.

too much grease balls ride on the bus/ skytrain.

wait what?

translink says it's a 1% tax increase for the average house. but then

However, TransLink's share of the property tax on an average home assessed at $600,000 is rising to $221 from $205, and that's an increase of 7.8 per cent.
Of the $16 increase, $11 -- more than two-thirds -- replaces the $18 million in revenue TransLink collected from the unpopular parking tax in 2007.

is the average value of a house in the gvrd 600k? isn't that a bit high?

Translink isn't just buses and the Skytrain - it's roads too. Everyone uses roads and they have to be maintained somehow.

FYI: As far as I know, bus drivers top out at around 52-53K/year. Not exactly a high salary in this day and age.

crazy

Hmmm.. road maintenance is in part of City's budget too! I hope you know that! Translink is not the one who repairs/repave the road.

Bus Drivers don't earn much, but Translink's CEO and upper management got a huge amount of salary and bonuses every single year.

road maintenance are done by engineering department and public work of the cities I believe.

You guys obviously don't know what you're talking about. Alot of Bus drivers, especially the ones that drive long routes (the 160, 190 buses for example) make 100,000/year.

wow.... YOU do not know what your talking about. Long routes have nothing to do with how much a bus driver makes. $100,000/year?? that's more than a police officer and I will assure you bus drivers do not make that much.

Tapioca has it right, driver's make roughly $52-55 a year.

I'm not saying it's not possible to make $100k a year but that's ALOT of OT.

I worked for Coast Mountain Bus Company. I know what I'm talking about buddy.
CMBC, like Translink and other union goes by a seniority-based system, most employees with high seniority goes for long-routes/away from the downtown eastside leaving the rookies with short/frequent-stop routes.

If you've been with them for over 10 years, u sure as hell make 100K/year as a driver and 10 years in a unionized government setting is SHORT.

Oh yeah, GVTAPS (Translink Cops) makes more money than VPD/RCMP. Coincidence? I think not.

EDIT: and.. Why the hell is it so surprising that bus drivers make better money than cops? Translinks is an organization that has alot of political power and has a stranglehold on our public transportation system in this province, they offer a service that brings in revenue and makes a profit. VPD/RCMP officers, on the other hand, only provides a service that doesn't generate any revenue, they are ONLY an EXPENSE.

If you don't mind me asking, why did you leave CMBC? 52-55K/year is the official top salary, at least reported by the local media. If bus drivers are really able to make 100K, then why is not reported more in the media, as was the case when Ottawa had its bus drivers strike? No other non-management people working in any level of government make 100K. If making 100K was as easy as putting in 10 years, I think everyone would be jumping aboard the bus driver bandwagon.

i know bus driver average makes around $25-30 depending


but $100,000k a year????? holly shit, are u sure??


thats A LOT OF MONEY for just driving a fucking bs around.


The way i see it, police should make more than bus drivers no matter what. Or else every police will rather jump the boat and drive the stupid bus around everyday

May i ask how long you worked with CMBC? since you said you "worked" assuming you no longer work for them.

100K is INCLUDING OT, I'm not saying that it's their base salary, if anyone is mistaken..

Media only reports base salaries, which is not realistic to what they actually make, if you look at the VPD website for example. Cops start at 55k/year, but realistically alot of them make 80-90k in their rookie year INCLUDING OT, the same scenario applies to bus drivers as they are required to work a "4 day" work week as well..

that is a ridiculous amount of OT and I would like to see anyone rack up that amount in a year.
Bus drivers work 5 day work weeks, with exception to some who have a compressed 10 hour over 4 days work week.
Also the amount of OT is regulated by government regs.

Why'd you leave if you could make so much money there?