• Lower Mainland drivers already pay 2nd highest gas tax on continent – 49.2 cents/L

BURNABY, B.C.: As part of its 16^th annual Gas Tax Honesty Day, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) released new figures showing that TransLink collects an average of $1,062 in taxes every year from every household in the Lower Mainland – and is considering adding another $595 per household through potential carbon (gas) taxes, vehicle levies, property tax and sales tax hikes.

“TransLink is already widely reviled for their waste, bad decision-making and bloated executive salaries – yet Metro mayors want to give the agency even more tax money,” said Jordan Bateman, CTF B.C. Director. “Despite having what experts say is the best funding formula in Canada, TransLink burns through our money – and mayors want to give this pyromaniac even more matches.”

TransLink currently receives $946.5 million annually from Lower Mainland taxpayers (see attached backgrounder for the full accounting of that money).

With 891,336 households in Metro Vancouver, that means every household already pays an average of $1,061.78 to TransLink in taxes every year – plus hundreds more in fares and tolls if they actually use the service. But still TransLink and the regional mayors demand more.

TransLink’s own documents show that six tax increases being floated by regional mayors ahead of the coming referendum could cost another taxpayers another $530 million – potentially $594.61 more per household.

Tax increases currently being considered (and tested via Angus Reid polling) by the regional mayors include:

• Reallocation of the B.C. carbon (gas) tax - $30 million
• A new regional carbon (gas) tax - $30 million
• Increasing property tax 5% a year - $30 million
• Increasing the PST by 0.5% - $250 million
• Tolling every bridge $1 - $100 million
• $75 annual car levy - $90 million

“The mayors keep working away behind closed doors, leaving the taxpaying public completely out of their tax and spend discussions,” said Bateman. “The Lower Mainland’s ridiculously high cost of living is a talking point for virtually every mayor in the region – but they refuse to recognize their own role in driving that cost up.”

The CTF news conference was held as part of the organization’s national Gas Tax Honesty Day. In B.C., there are three different gas tax zones:

• Lower Mainland - 49.2 cents/L total (17c/L TransLink; 10c/L federal; 8.5c/L provincial; 6.7c/L B.C. carbon tax; 7c/L GST)
• Capital Region – 41.7 cents/L total (14.5c/L provincial; 10c/L federal; 6.7c/L B.C. carbon tax; 3.5c/L transit; 7c/L GST)
• Rest of B.C. – 38.2 cents/L total (14.5c/L provincial; 10c/L federal; 6.7c/L B.C. carbon tax; 7c/L GST)

For the full CTF Gas Tax Honesty Day national report, click here.