The City of Vancouver has posted its draft 2012 – 2014 Capital Plan online for residents to discuss and comment on at talkvancouver.com.
What is a Capital Plan?
A Capital Plan is the City’s financial plan to invest in your city’s infrastructure.
This includes such items as bike lanes, water pipes, sidewalks, libraries, fire halls, affordable housing, parks, street trees, vehicles, public art, information technology and more. Basically anything that deals with creating and maintaining the City’s infrastructure is part of the Capital Plan.
Why Should You Care?
This plan also comes with a price tag, and choices have to be made, including whether or not to increase taxes.
The city is the level of government closest to you. It provides the roads, sidewalks and facilities that you use daily. It’s also the level of government in which your voice has the most direct impact.
Moreover, your property taxes fund a significant part of the capital plan. Understanding your priorities as a resident and taxpayer will help guide City staff in shaping the final plan and funding level. Their recommendations will go to City Council for approval in September. It will also help the City decided where or not to raise taxes.
Vancouver’s 2012 – 2014 Capital Plan
The City has developed a draft plan, proposing where they want to invest your tax dollars over the next three years and why. The financial target outlined in the draft plan $700 million. The plan has prioritized capital investments valued at $770 million.
You will notice that this is $70 million more than the target. This means if the draft plan includes everything, property taxes would need to increase by 1.7% to cover it. This is over and above any increases for inflation.
Thus, the City needs to decide either to either align the final plan with the financial target of $700 million, or to raise property taxes to cover the additional costs.
Categories
To help explain the proposed Capital Plan, the City has published an information booklet (pdf) that looks at the seven main categories of the Vancouver’s capital assets, services and resources. These are:
- Community Facilities (libraries, childcare, social, recreational, cultural and entertainment facilities)
- Housing (affordable rental housing)
- Utilities and Public Works (water and sewer systems)
- Parks and Open Spaces (parks, seawall, street trees, public art)
- Public Safety (fire halls, police and animal control facilities)
- Transportation (bridges, roads, sidewalks, bike routes)
- Civic Infrastructure (administrative buildings, service yards, vehicles, information technology)
You can also read the 2012-2014 Draft Capital Plan – Report to Council (pdf) prepared by City staff as well as the 2011 City Budget (pdf).
Get Involved
The City is conducting a public consultation to learn what your priorities are. Your input will shape the final plan. Here’s How:
1. Attend on of three public info sessions (no registration is required to attend):
- City Hall on July 21, 2011: 10 a.m.–noon, Committee Room 1, 3rd Floor, Vancouver City Hall – 453 West 12th Avenue.
- Hastings Community Centre on July 25, 2011: 6–8 p.m., Auditorium, Hastings Community Centre – 3096 East Hastings Street.
- Kerrisdale Community Centre on July 27: 6–8 p.m., Seniors Room, Kerrisdale Community Centre – 5851 West Boulevard
2. Visit talkvancouver.com to
- Complete an online survey by August 9
- Comment the City’s three online forum discussion topics:
A) Do you agree with how the City plans to allocate your tax dollars in the next three years? Please explain why?
B) What project from the draft Plan is most important to you, and why?
C) When you think about the Capital Plan categories, such as utilities, public safety, etc., what is most important to you and your neighbourhood?
3. Email any questions or feedback to capitalplan@vancouver.ca
Next Steps
The city will be gathering public input until August 9th. Staff will report back to Council with results of the consultation in late September.
During the municipal election on November 19, 2011, Vancouver voters will be asked to approve plebiscite questions. These will give Council the authority to borrow funds to carry out the objectives laid out in the 2012-2014 Capital Plan.