After two years, the Vancouver City Council has sent forward a fee proposal that may work
We applaud the Vancouver City Council for finally moving forward with an ordinance to fund new capacity transportation. Business leaders have demonstrated time and time again their need and support for strengthened transportation solutions for employees and residents of Vancouver. Identity Clark County was instrumental in defeating the repeal of the statewide gas tax, for example, and Bank of Clark County CEO Mike Worthy helped rally support for C-Tran at a time when significant cuts seemed inevitable. The Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce called for strong leadership and action by the council after more than a year of revisions on the proposal and two years of information-gathering and discussion. The chamber called for support of a reasonable and specific fee structure and an avoidance of a Business and Occupation tax, which could be detrimental to the rebounding local economy.
The very proposal that advanced to a public hearing by a vote of 7-0 on Monday night was postponed earlier this year in a fit of indecision by the council. Now that it’s back on the table, business owners will have their first opportunity to be heard in front of the council or to submit testimony. We recommend that business owners stand up for new capacity transportation next Monday night. We all know there is a need, and we will all pay eventually to relieve the costly congestion. Approving this business fee will save companies money in the long run in more efficient delivery and trucking times, more productive work hours for those who must travel and less wasted fuel, among other benefits. And let’s not leave our customers out of this cost/benefit equation – the easier it is for them to reach our offices, storefronts and entertainment venues, the more prosperous we all are. It will also stave off a local B&O tax, which has been roundly rejected by the business community and which the VBJ agrees is a punitive solution.
Passing a fee or tax on to constituents is never an easy task, and the council made some smart, business friendly decisions during the first reading of the ordinance. Businesses will not have to open their books to the city, rather providing only employee numbers, which the fee is based on. In a post-Enron era of ever-tightening regulation of companies’ financials, it should not be the city’s responsibility to further scrutinize a business’ books. Simply obtaining the information necessary to calculate the fee is sufficient. The ordinance will retain its annual review process, but eliminates a previously proposed sunset clause. These provisions, respectively, will maintain an avenue for regular examination of the fund disbursements as well as prevent ongoing projects from being arbitrarily halted after a specific amount of time. Annual reviews should, however, include a routine discussion of the eventual phase-out of the fees, as transportation needs are met and/or alternative funding solutions present themselves.
