Metro Vancouver Transportation & Transit Plebiscite

[Kisai]

Well, Christie Clark just threw the Mayors under the metaphorical bus and I think the plebiscite is now doomed.

http://www.surreyleader.com/news/291461951.html

Premier Christy Clark says the possible defeat of a proposed 0.5 per cent sales tax by the No side in this spring's referendum on transit expansion might force Metro Vancouver mayors to raise TransLink's property tax instead.

TransLink already collects $305 million per year – $238 per average home assessed at $719,000 – from its dedicated property tax, which is charged on homes and businesses in addition to municipal and school property taxes.

The premier told reporters Friday the mayors could still raise that if voters reject the sales tax because her 2013 election promise to subject any new TransLink revenue source to a referendum didn't apply to greater use of existing taxes.

"If they decide they do want to build transit without a Yes vote in this referendum, mayors will have to fall back, I guess, on the existing funding mechanism that they have," Clark said at an event in Surrey.

"They have always had the ability to raise money for transit through increasing property taxes and I suppose that would be one of the options available to them if the referendum fails."

Clark said she will personally vote Yes as the owner of a home in Vancouver and added talk of defeat may be "hypothetical" because mayors are very confident of success.

Clark and successive transportation ministers have repeatedly said mayors could increase property taxes if they wished to avoid a referendum.

Just to add:
https://infogr.am/translink_property_tax_by_municipality