Vancouver’s draft 2024 budget released

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Good morning,

As some of you saw, I sent around a survey last night. We’re looking for input on what we should focus on in 2024, and how we can create better local news here in Vancouver. I’d love to hear your feedback!

Today we’ve got some big news on Vancouver’s budget and potential tax hikes, as well as some questionable tactics by the police.

Let’s get to it!

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout editor

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WEATHER

Friday: 8 🌡️ 1 | ☀️

Saturday: 8 🌡️ 2 | ☀️

Sunday: 9 🌡️ 3 | 🌤️

Monday: 9 🌡️ 2 | 🌤️

CITY HALL

Vancouver’s draft 2024 budget released

What happened: City staff have prepared the draft budget for 2024 and it includes a tax hike of 7.6 percent, down from the 10.7 percent hike of last year, with the operating budget increasing to more than $2 billion for the first time, according to the Vancouver Sun. 

Where the money goes: There is a one percent increase for infrastructure renewal, 3.8 for other city services and 2.8 for the Police Department. The key element with the increases is that it does not result in any service cuts for the city. 

• Council passed numerous fee increases earlier this year as a way to reduce the tax increase burden. 

In context: You can see the breakdown below of different costs based on the median property value. For context, as noted by Coun. Peter Fry in Global, renters paying $3,000 a month will see a $420 yearly price increase, compared to a $124 increase over the year for someone in a condo priced at $759,000. 

It should also be noted Vancouver has the lowest property taxes of any major Canadian city at 0.27%. For comparison sake, a home assessed at $1 million will pay $2,781 in taxes compared to $6,663 in Toronto and $11,693 in Ottawa, according to Storeys.

Of interest: One of Mayor Ken Sim’s major points during the election was criticizing former mayor Kennedy Stewart over tax increases. Yet, these increases, both last year and this year, are higher than any of Stewart’s budgets during his time as mayor.

• Of course, Stewart faced a divided council where he had to forge coalitions to pass budgets, while Sim and his ABC Party control council. 

Council is also waiting for the mayor’s task force on Vancouver’s budget which will provide them with new revenue opportunities and efficiencies in the city’s operating budget, according to Global, with the goal of reducing future tax increases. This is not expected to impact the current budget, as the task force is looking at long-term projects. 

What they’re saying: In media reports, ABC councillors expressed positive opinions about the budget, even with the tax increase.

• “I think this draft budget does demonstrate that staff have worked extremely hard to get the property tax increase that’s proposed to the lowest amount possible.” Coun. Peter Meiszner speaking Global.

What happens next: Council will vote on the budget on Dec. 5. This budget is not set, as council could vote to change things, as we saw last year when council chose to increase taxes. 

• Dig deeper: For all of you who enjoy digging into dense documents, here’s the link to the draft budget. 

SPONSORED BY DREAM ON WHEELS

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Join Dreams on Wheels for a heartwarming Toy Drive on Saturday, December 2nd, from 12-4pm at Trove in Richmond. Calling all car enthusiasts and compassionate community members to bring new, unused toys and share the love by contributing to our mission!

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In the past three years, we raised over $750,000 in donated toys, showcasing the incredible impact our community can make.

Let's make this 4th Annual Holiday Toy Drive a success for all the kids!

VANCOUVER NUMBERS

💰️ $31 million: The amount of money laundered by a Vancouver lawyer, who hid the money from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for his clients. The lawyer was disbarred by the Law Society of British Columbia. [CTV]

🚌 21.04 million: The amount of transit journeys on TransLink in September, up 13.7 percent from 18.5 million in 2022. Metro Vancouver’s transit system continues to rebound faster than anywhere else in Canada. [Business in Vancouver]

🚢 $66,000: The amount it cost the city of Vancouver to remove the barge at Sunset Beach. They say the barge owner, Sentry Marine Towing, should pay the cost. [Global]

PUBLIC SAFETY

Vancouver police accused of using illegal media exclusion zone

What happened: The Vancouver Police Department has been accused of creating an exclusion zone during the events of the Hastings tent encampment cleanup earlier this year, with the BC police oversight agency saying it was not clear what authority the police relied on to enact the zone, according to the Vancouver Sun. 

Defining exclusion zones: According to West Coast Environmental Law, these are an area blocked to public access by the police. Police are only allowed to do this in certain situations, and is not considered a general power. In 2021 the court ruled that the police could not block access to journalists during the Fairy Creek logging protests, according to the Vancouver Sun. 

The complaint: It’s alleged that reporters were not given access to the decampment and quarantined off multiple blocks. The president of the Canadian Association of Journalists noted that the police had no legal right to stop reporters from doing their job, according to CTV.

• The force claimed that they structured the area in that way to prevent a “free for all” as they cleared out tents. 

What’s next: The commissioner has sent the report to the police board which will decide between a number of options, including asking the police chief to investigate, initiating a study or dismissing the complaint with reasons, among a few other options, according to Castanet. The commission also recommended that because Mayor Ken Sim and the VPD chief sit on the board, the organization should seek independent advice.

The chair of the police board’s subcommittee that deals with these complaints said they first need to determine if any journalists were not allowed to enter the area, according to the Vancouver Sun. 

Breaking news: After a meeting last night, the police board dismissed the complaint, claiming that there was no exclusion zone, according to CTV. No journalists were interviewed as part of the complaint. As noted in the story, Tyee reporter Jen St. Denis had tweeted during the encampment clearing that police barred her from entering the street where encampments were being evicted.Vancouver police accused of using illegal media exclusion zoneVancouver police accused of using illegal media exclusion zone

THE AGENDA

🏗️ Three people were injured at a worksite on Nelson and Burrard on Wednesday after a crane collapsed. Thankfully they were minor injuries. WorkSafeBC is investigating the incident. [CTV]

🏢 A councillor’s motion could see a radical change in how the Downtown Eastside operates, including replacing all SROs. We’ll have more coverage of this next week and what it could mean. [CityNews]

👮 Vancouver police could soon become the top-paid police force in the country, with a proposed two-year contract that includes a 4.5 percent raise each year along with improved benefits. [Global]

👮 Police are looking into a fatal stabbing on Tuesday afternoon in the Downtown Eastside and are asking anyone who witnessed the event to come forward. [CTV]

🪖 Don’t be alarmed if you hear gunfire this weekend in Vancouver. A regiment in the armed forces is conducting urban operations training this weekend around the Seaforth Armoury. [Vancouver Sun]

🧑‍⚖️ A West Vancouver man who set up a spycam in a bathroom will not have a criminal record if he completes 30 months of probation. He pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism. [Global]

👍 Tai chi fans rejoice! A group of low-income seniors who were kicked out of the Chinatown Plaza Mall are back to practicing tai chi in the mall after obtaining permission from the city to return. [CBC]

🏢 One challenge with upzoning could mean the decline of small businesses as they’re increasingly pushed out of local neighbourhoods. This is potentially especially problematic along SkyTrain routes in the city that will see automatic upzoning as part of the province’s new housing policy. [Business in Vancouver]

⛴️ The Queens are retiring… The ferries that is. By 2029 the Queen class of vessels are expected to begin retiring and replaced by a new diesel-battery hybrid ferry, which the company says is just beginning to solicit bids to design them. [Vancouver Sun]

❄️ It’s a tough time for skiing throughout BC as the lack of snow is forcing ski hills to open later. [CTV]

📹️ Are red light speed cameras unpopular? Not according to the latest poll. Around the province, 72 percent of people said they support these cameras. In Metro Vancouver, 45 percent of respondents said they had seen a car speed daily. [Business in Vancouver] 

🏒 Last game was not meant to be… The Canucks lost against the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 on Wednesday night. The team is second in the Pacific Division with 13 wins and 6 losses. [The Province]

EVENT GUIDE

Vancouver Christmas Market | Jack Poole Plaza | Now until Dec. 24 | One of the best Christmas festivals in the city, come celebrate the Christmas spirit with food, drinks and other vendors | Starting at $15.99

Indiefest re:Naissance Opera | Around town | Now until Nov. 26 | New opera and virtual reality that’s all about imaginative forms of storytelling from diverse artists | Tickets $15-$35

European Union Film Festival 2023 | Cinematheque | Now until Nov. 30 | Contemporary European cinema from 27 EU members | Tickets $12

Van Dusen Festival of Lights | Van Dusen Botanical Garden | Nov. 24-Jan. 7 | 15 acres adorned with lights, along with food vendors | Tickets $24

Nearvana performs Nirvana Unplugged in New York | 1882 Adanac St. Vancouver | Nov. 25, 8 pm | A sing-a-long tribute to the iconic Nirvana album, event is 19+ | Tickets $25

Roller Derby Bout! East Van. vs West End | Rollerland, 21 N Renfrew St. | Nov. 25, 6 pm | Short track racing with a beer garden. It’s a great time for all! | Tickets $28

Portobello West Market | Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre | Nov. 25 and 26, 10 am-5 pm | Discover local gifts for the holidays, such as home decor, skincare, food and spirits | Tickets $6

Whisky x Cheese Pairing Class II | Taste of Legacy, 1633 Manitoba St. | Nov. 26, 12 pm | Immerse yourself in whiskey and cheese pairings, with six locally crafted whisky experts | Tickets $65

AROUND CANADA

@ashleyasalvador

Since being elected, one of my first orders of business has been to address the ongoing issue of problem properties in the core. With the ... See more

I saw this video and thought it was an interesting policy — Edmonton has changed their tax structure to charge derelict properties three times more in taxes than normal properties. Seems like a good idea!

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Which neighbourhood has the highest percentage of electric vehicles? Here’s a helpful map. [Vancouver Sun]

• The popular Cabane à Sucre event is back at St. Lawrence. Having been a few years ago, as well to the famous one at Au Pied de Cochon, I highly recommend grabbing a table when the reservations open on Dec. 1. 

• Why these chicken wings at this popular Vancouver restaurant are worth a visit.

• The PNE has a new roller coaster that they’re calling the ThunderVolt. Fun! [Vancouver Sun]

• Here’s how to have the perfect night out in Chinatown.

• Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.

GAME TIME

Congrats to Carrie, Dawn, Kathryn and Elaine who all correctly guessed the Vancouver Guesser spot was Davie and Denman.

Today’s Wordle is all about the numbers. Can you guess it? Play here.