An NPA city councillor has accused local mayors of inaction on developing funding mechanisms for transit upgrades and suggested that is the reason the provincial government wants a referendum to gauge support for transit projects.
George Affleck made the accusation Tuesday at a council meeting during a debate about the referendum that is expected to be held when Metro Vancouver residents vote in their respective 2014 civic elections.
His comments were directed at the mayors council on regional transportation that has attempted for several years to work out a definitive and sustainable way with the provincial government to fund transit improvements.
The inaction by the mayors council and the inaction by TransLink over the last several years on how to fund the priorities in this region has frustrated not only the citizens of this region but obviously the province, as well, said Affleck, adding the mayors councils rejection of the referendum creates another political battle with the provincial government. The reason the referendum was created was because of inaction in this region.
Afflecks comments were quickly refuted by Vision Coun. Geoff Meggs, who said the mayors would go absolutely bonkers if they heard somebody say they had been inactive on the transit file.
Meggs pointed out the mayors council previously reached consensus with former transportation minister Blair Lekstrom on imposing a vehicle registration fee to generate money for transit, only to be rejected by Premier Christy Clark.
Months of hard work and negotiation and mediation went down the drain, Meggs said. So, I dont want to be political but I do want to be factual. This has been an extremely difficult process by a mayors group which has no legislative or financial support or administrative ability to do much.
Mayor Gregor Robertson, who belongs to the mayors council, said he and his fellow mayors also requested the provincial government use a portion of carbon tax revenue to fund transit.
Robertson acknowledged the increase in gas tax to trigger the construction of the Evergreen SkyTrain line from Coquitlam to Vancouver.
But, he said, a referendum is the wrong way to go to adopt sustainable funding mechanisms for transit. He believes municipalities would likely be pitted against each other over who should get transit improvements.
This referendum means an 18-month delay to any action on transit investment in Metro Vancouver, said Robertson, noting the mayors signed an agreement three years ago with the provincial government to find funding sources to fund transit. We have seen almost no action in those three years.
The debate over the referendum arose after Affleck introduced a motion to have the Vision Vancouver politicians who also serve as Metro Vancouver directors urge the Metro Vancouver board to report back on various issues, including the potential economic, social and environmental ramifications of referendum results in Metro Vancouver.
The ruling Vision Vancouver party, along with Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr, instead supported Meggs motion to endorse the mayors councils rejection of the referendum.
Meggss motion also asks Metro Vancouvers transportation committee to clarify options available to municipalities to ensure voters have a true opportunity to make their wishes known in the event no agreement is possible with the province on the wording, administration or funding of a referendum.
It doesnt change the fact, Affleck said, that the premier continues to state that shes absolutely committed to pushing forward with this referendum.
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