City Council passed their budget today with a general tax increase of 2.26% (this will mean 0.26% for business and 4.26% for residential thanks to the tax shift). The extra 0.26% will go to added funding to libraries to keep the Riley Park branch open for an additional year and keep some of the other branches open longer hours (these were being cut under the original funding to libraries this year). This is good news for libraries and library users.
There was no good news for people who use parks and community centres though. The Park Board was given no additional funding, so expect to see more garbage in your local park--collection will be reduced; fewer flowers at Queen Elizabeth park; longer grass on boulevards and verges; and expect to see the Bloedel Conservatory and Stanley Park Farmyard either closed or in private hands. There will be service reductions at Community Centres; an after school program will not be funded; the Active Communities program will be ended; and less maintenance at your local community centre. And of course there will be fewer trees on the sides of our streets. All this and your taxes will still increase.
Thanks for your efforts, Stuart. Glad to hear about the library funding, but disappointed to hear about parks. I joined Vision because of some of the people now on Council, and I am disappointed.
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