In communities large and small the problems faced by Mayors are the same, it’s just a question of scale.
That was one key idea that Sicamous Mayor Terry Rysz brought back from the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) Mayors’ Caucus Spring session held March 14 and 16.
One major issue that Mayors from around the province discussed was the sharing of tax revenue resulting from the upcoming legalization of cannabis.
Rysz said the issue was thoroughly discussed at the assembly and a resolution in support of revenue sharing will be going forward to UBCM.
“We’re all concerned about the responsibilities that are going to be laid down on municipalities,” he said.
Rysz said the key component of the discussion is the assembled mayors want revenue to be shared directly with municipalities and not given to the federal or provincial government to fund a grant program such as the Federal Gas Tax Fund.
Rysz noted that the District of Sicamous has been very successful applying for grants from higher levels of government lately including acquiring $4.8 million which will go towards replacing the aging Sicamous-Solsqua bridge. He still believes a more direct system by which municipalities could benefit from taxes on cannabis would be better
“We’d like to see this cannabis tax come directly to our communities,” he said.
Along with the discussion on cannabis tax Rysz said the issues of affordable housing and B.C.’s Rural-Urban divide were on the agenda at the Mayors’ Caucus.
Rysz said the results of the last provincial election in which Rural B.C. voted mostly for the Liberals while the riding in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island tended to elect NDP MLAs was noted by the Mayors at the caucus.
Rysz said there won’t be a resolution regarding the apparent divide going forward to the UBCM, but the discussion of the subject was constructive and interesting.
He said he sees potential for the Mayors’ Caucus to effectively work together to make their voices heard on major Federal and Provincial political issues.
The mayors and other community representatives will reconvene and continue their work at the UBCM conference in September.
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