This is the kind of public reaction that Vision Vancouver critics would have you believe the party is facing after the just-completed budget process. Nothing could be further from the truth, however.

What do you get with:

• The previous NPA dominated council increasing spending by 15.65 per cent (from $771 to $894 million) over three years – 2006-2008
• A salary negotiation achieved under the era of Sam Sullivan’s “leadership” to break a three-month old strike ensured a $26.7 million jump in salaries for the coming fiscal year
• A tax increase to Vancouver homeowners in 2006 of 6.4 per cent, including a tax shift from business to residential of 1 per cent
• A tax increase to Vancouver homeowners in 2007 of 8 per cent, including a tax shift from business to residential of 2 per cent
• A tax increase to Vancouver homeowners in 2008 of 2.13 per cent, including a tax shift from business to residential of 1 per cent (lower due to City Council directing staff in June 2007 “to use savings resulting from the 2007 work stoppage to reduce property taxes for City taxpayers in 2008 on a one-time basis.  An analysis of the 12-week work stoppage identified $11.8 million in savings which translated to a property tax reduction of 2.32 per cent.”  This was a work stoppage that didn’t need to paralyze the city for three months, making the “savings” a reflection of incompetence rather than solid management).
• A drop in development and building permit revenues by about 50 per cent (slide 5) due to the global recession

Well, you get the budget that the City of Vancouver just completed.  And, all in all, you get a pretty reasonable process that took the needs of the collective into consideration above the loud voices of the minority.

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