Get The Facts

Translink’s Board and Mayor’s Council kept spending without a plan and now they want you to pay for it.

That means you’re going to pay up to $540 more a year, plus HST to fund;

• An excessive number of executives*,
• $1,200 per day board salaries**,
• Out of control administrative costs that have grown by 101% since 2002*,
• Tripling of their debt*
• Highest parking taxes in North America.

But it doesn’t end there!

• Translink has had a parking tax of 7% in place since 1999; collected by the province through PST. Effective January 1, 2010, Translink and the Province instructed operators of paid parking facilities to collect an additional 14% tax, which, together with GST, makes the tax payable on parking in Vancouver Metro a total of 27.05%. The new tax is estimated by Translink to collect another $30.8 m totalling $45m of their $130m previously announced shortfall. Despite this 200% increase Translink is still expected to run a $79 million deficit.
• The province took over the funding of health capital costs from municipalities in 1999, which in return created property tax room for Metro Vancouver Municipalities to fund transit. Metro Vancouver is among the lowest funders of transportation through the municipal tax base at 3.1%* of any major Canadian municipal region which range from 4%-11%.
• The new 27.05 % tax once HST is applied and compounded will amount to 35.52% – the highest in North America followed by Pittsburgh and San Francisco.
• Translink attempted a similar tax increase in 2006 but withdrew the plan due to public opposition. When the area parking tax program was withdrawn, $9 million of additional taxes were added to Commercial and residential property owners to offset Translink budget deficits, this was in lieu of the parking tax increasing. It remains despite the latest 200% increase.
• Commercial property owners through property taxes contribute $100m from commercial property to fund Translink today in addition to the parking tax from paid stalls they own.
• Some parking spaces in Metro Vancouver that compete with paid parking are exempt or don’t pay the tax because they are factored into the tenants lease providing “free parking”, street meter parking is also exempt from the tax.
• Translink “admittedly” undertook a short consultation process on this new tax. The focus of the limited executed consultations last spring was on 14% not 21% increases and did not consider the impacts the tax would have on businesses or investments.
• The expected loss in parking revenue for Vancouver building owners with paid parking will result in a corresponding $500,000,000 reduction in the value of Vancouver buildings. This will amount to approximately a $10 million loss in property taxes for the city of Vancouver.
• The consequence will be an increase to the mill rate for all commercial property undermining the City of Vancouver’s tax shift which is currently attempting to bring balance to residential and commercial property tax rates which are currently 5 to 1 paid by commercial tax payers.
• Translink according to the Comptroller Generals report has been responsible for :
• A tripling of the debt since 2005.
• Expenses growing by 3.5 times ridership.
• Administrative costs growing at 101% since 2002.
• No cost reduction targets in place for ‘09 and despite targets in ‘10 costs still growing by 2.7% almost double inflation.