Breaking down Vancouver mayor’s budget task force report

After a year of promises, and a slight delay in delivery, the mayor’s much-touted budget taskforce, whose mission it was to find efficiencies and savings in Vancouver’s budget, has delivered their final report. So what does it entail? Is it the panacea the mayor was hoping for? 

I will attempt to break down the report, as well as offer some counterpoints to what they’re saying, so you understand the full context of what the report recommends. 

Background: The report introduction emphasizes that their purpose is to address two main issues — the “unsustainable climb in property taxes” and the $500-million gap in infrastructure spending. 

• It should be noted that while the tax increases are high, Vancouver still has the lowest property taxes for any North American city.

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