Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

Todd Stone reintroduces bill to reduce property tax for small businesses


Today Todd Stone, BC Liberal Critic for Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation, reintroduced the Assessment (Split Assessment Classification) Amendment Act for the fourth time in the legislature.

The bill will create a new commercial property sub-class that local governments can use to provide tax relief for organizations facing massive property tax increases based on the development potential of the airspace above their heads. It will also eliminate the nonsensical application of the Speculation and Vacancy Tax on the airspace over the heads of the same struggling small businesses, some of which have recently received speculation tax bills of up to $6,500.

“This tax is the last straw for many small businesses already struggling to stay open amid the third wave of the pandemic,” said Stone. “Businesses should only pay tax on the space they use. But many, particularly those in the Lower Mainland, have seen a 200 to 300 per cent increase in property tax due to the NDP’s air tax.”

A broad coalition of stakeholders — including small businesses, chambers of commerce, boards of trade, and non-profits — have been calling for a flexible, common-sense solution like our split-assessment legislation, but to date, the NDP government has failed to put forward any meaningful solutions to this issue.


“Despite this legislation having broad support from the businesses community and local governments, the NDP continues to ignore this issue. Our communities can’t afford to lose more local mom and pop businesses to skyrocketing property taxes.

Unlike this government’s interim permissive tax exemption tool — that one year since implementation has not been used by a single one of the 162 municipalities in B.C. — we urge the government to call our bill for debate, so a lifeline can be thrown to small businesses hit hard with sky-rocketing property taxes,” added Stone.


 

What stakeholders are saying:

 

Jane McFadden, Executive Director, West 4th Ave BIA, Vancouver:

 

“Our businesses are in crisis and we, the BIA are doing everything possible to support them so that we have a neighbourhood still standing at the end of this pandemic. The spec tax only affects a few but those few are our entire neighbourhood and this tax could decimate our business community by being introduced now. The overarching issue is the highest and best use that has been an ongoing struggle for both the landlords and tenants. We need the government's support and we need it now.”

 

Trevor Bird, owner and chef, Fable Kitchen, Vancouver:

 

“We are innovative and creative and have shown our resiliency for many years and especially this year. We are trying to make it through this crisis and cannot take on any more financial burdens, especially something so absurd as the spec tax. We need someone to take a hard look at the best way to support small business and stop penalizing us so that we have a chance at success.”



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FORSETH: Without a strong local presence, there is NO reason for anyone to tune in to local(?) radio

LOCAL HOMETOWN RADIO IS DYING … and without serious measures put in place, it will likely never see the light of day again. For well over four decades, the Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC) has presided over its’ demise, and for that I say, “Shame”. Without out a word to say enough was enough, the CRTC has allowed corporate Canada to buy up one radio station after the other, and then allowed them to slash staff to the point where some so-called local radio stations do nothing more than air programming that originates from communities well outside the region in which they are located. Case in point?   On CHNL* 610 in Kamloops, the morning show hosted by Vinnie and Randi, DOES NOT originate from Kamloops -- it doesn’t even originate here in BC. It’s a program that Stingray airs across multiple radio stations in Western Canada. It doesn’t end there. Not only are Vinnie and Rando doing mornings on CHNL, but they also show up on sister station Country 103 … and of course o...
5 comments
Read more

Conservative Economic Team Responds to Urgent Industry Concerns

 " For far too long, the BC NDP has ignored the economic challenges facing British Columbians. Manufacturing jobs are vanishing, forestry is in decline, and private sector employment growth has stagnated. Meanwhile, affordability has worsened for both families and businesses. British Columbians deserve better, and we’re here to deliver real solutions to rebuild our economy and create jobs that support everyday working people and their families ." – Gavin Dew, MLA and Shadow Minister for Jobs, Economy, Development, and Innovation.   December 3, 2024, Vancouver, BC – The Conservative economic team met today with business leaders and stakeholders to tackle critical issues impacting British Columbia’s economy. Attended by 9 critics from the Conservative Caucus, this meeting was convened by MLA Gavin Dew – Shadow Minister for Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation - as a direct response to an October 30th open letter from seven of the province’s largest industry associations. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

WARD STAMER -- We need certainly in our markets, and certainly in our fibre supply, before we no longer have a forest industry in this province

Image Government of BC I think we all realize that the threat of Trump’s 25% tariff is like other provocative statements he’s made in the past. That said, we should have reason to be concerned. Tariffs don’t benefit anyone. A tariff of that magnitude – included on our own softwood lumber exports, will make things more expensive for Americans, and cause friction in the supply chain. If imposed, a twenty-five percent tariff will be equally detrimental to the citizens and economy of the United States, as well as the people of BC. There are two things, however, of equal concern to the threat of punitive tariffs by incoming U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. One is our antiquated stumpage fees. It is a legacy from decades ago, and one incapable of responding to changing market conditions. We need to revamp our stumpage system to better reflect market conditions, and our economic costs. Instead, a value-added tax system will be instantly responsive to current market conditions and will encou...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more