Think City supporters told us loud and clear you want your council to maintain and even expand city services. According to the city's own public consultation on this year's budget, the majority of the 2,700 people surveyed were "in favour of increasing property taxes to maintain services."
However, senior city staff have instead recommended city council slash $7.3 million from existing civic commitments. This service reduction comes either as direct program cuts or increased user fees. The proposed program cuts include parks and recreation ($453,800), libraries ($90,000), action on climate change ($100,000), greenways ($307,000), the revitalization of Chinatown ($212,600), and heritage preservation ($50,000).
You told Think City you also want council to take action on increasing affordable housing, improving public transit and reducing homelessness and poverty. However, new spending recommended by city staff does little to address these top three citizen priorities. Instead, staff are asking council to devote the lion's share of any new money in 2007 – almost $2-million or 55 per cent of new unfunded spending – on more money for policing. That's the wrong priority.
Over the next few weeks, Think City will keep the pressure on our elected officials to better reflect the priorities you have identified for the city. Our mayor and council will make a final budget decision on March 13 – that's when we will learn their priorities for Vancouver.
Think City Citizen Budget Priorities 2007
Think CIty surveyed nearly 10,000 event participants, supporters and Think City Minute email bulletin subscribers between Jan. 16 and Feb. 19 and gathered in 336 submissions. The priorities for city council are outlined below with the percentage support and the total numbers of individuals surveyed who are supporting the priority in brackets:
more affordable housing – this includes both social housing and middle-income housing (69.2%, 229 individuals support this priority/336 total number of individuals who completed survey)
better public transit (41.1%, 136/336)
a reduction in homelessness and poverty (32.9%, 109/336)
more parks and recreation services (21.8%, 72/336)
action on climate change by the city (20.5%, 68/336)
more childcare and daycare services (19.6%, 65/336)
continued support for the Owen/Campbell Four Pillars Drug strategy (19.3%, 64/336)
no additional civic funding for 2010 Olympics (19.0%, 63/336)
more resources for public libraries (10.6%, 35/336)
no additional civic funding for police department (10.3%, 34/336)
more public input on growth and development (9.1%, 30/336)
other - e.g., improve healthcare system, improve schools, cancel/expand specific city programs, job creation, reduce property taxes, increase spending on police, remove social housing, etc. (7.9%, 26/336)
more spending on public works with an emphasis on improving roads (5.7%, 19/336)
However, senior city staff have instead recommended city council slash $7.3 million from existing civic commitments. This service reduction comes either as direct program cuts or increased user fees. The proposed program cuts include parks and recreation ($453,800), libraries ($90,000), action on climate change ($100,000), greenways ($307,000), the revitalization of Chinatown ($212,600), and heritage preservation ($50,000).
You told Think City you also want council to take action on increasing affordable housing, improving public transit and reducing homelessness and poverty. However, new spending recommended by city staff does little to address these top three citizen priorities. Instead, staff are asking council to devote the lion's share of any new money in 2007 – almost $2-million or 55 per cent of new unfunded spending – on more money for policing. That's the wrong priority.
Over the next few weeks, Think City will keep the pressure on our elected officials to better reflect the priorities you have identified for the city. Our mayor and council will make a final budget decision on March 13 – that's when we will learn their priorities for Vancouver.
Think City Citizen Budget Priorities 2007
Think CIty surveyed nearly 10,000 event participants, supporters and Think City Minute email bulletin subscribers between Jan. 16 and Feb. 19 and gathered in 336 submissions. The priorities for city council are outlined below with the percentage support and the total numbers of individuals surveyed who are supporting the priority in brackets:
more affordable housing – this includes both social housing and middle-income housing (69.2%, 229 individuals support this priority/336 total number of individuals who completed survey)
better public transit (41.1%, 136/336)
a reduction in homelessness and poverty (32.9%, 109/336)
more parks and recreation services (21.8%, 72/336)
action on climate change by the city (20.5%, 68/336)
more childcare and daycare services (19.6%, 65/336)
continued support for the Owen/Campbell Four Pillars Drug strategy (19.3%, 64/336)
no additional civic funding for 2010 Olympics (19.0%, 63/336)
more resources for public libraries (10.6%, 35/336)
no additional civic funding for police department (10.3%, 34/336)
more public input on growth and development (9.1%, 30/336)
other - e.g., improve healthcare system, improve schools, cancel/expand specific city programs, job creation, reduce property taxes, increase spending on police, remove social housing, etc. (7.9%, 26/336)
more spending on public works with an emphasis on improving roads (5.7%, 19/336)
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