A BC Liberal leadership candidate has called for the creation of a municipal auditor general.
Christy Clark told attendees at a BC Chamber of Commerce event that she is proposing the provincial government fund an Office of the Municipal Auditor General, which would work as part of the auditor general’s office. The office would provide advice on financial decisions, provide a measure of accountability and review the municipal taxation formula.
“Small towns, in particular, have an issue of capacity and this office would help meet those needs,” Clark stated in a release. “A municipal tax review will examine whether the system is fair and that no one group is carrying an unfair burden, allowing for a public dialogue involving property taxpayers across British Columbia.”
City of Powell River Councillor Dave Formosa, who is also president of the Powell River Chamber of Commerce, attended the event. He said he spoke to Clark about her proposal and he supports it.
Clark compared ratios of residential and industrial tax rates, Formosa said, and pointed out high industrial taxes are not good for business. “She said the federal politicians don’t like the federal authority and the provincial politicians don’t like the provincial authority and I don’t assume the municipal politicians would like the municipal authority,” Formosa said. “But transparency is greater and issues like the ratios between business and residential taxes need to be looked at.”
A municipal auditor general would also address other issues, Formosa said, such as smaller communities not being able to afford core services and provincial downloading. “It’s coming to the point where there’s no watch dog on municipalities and their taxation abilities, and I agree with that,” he said. “Personally, as a politician, I even welcome it. As a businessman, I welcome it more.”
The BC chamber also supports Clark’s proposal. According to a release, the addition of a municipal auditor general is an important part of the chamber’s policy on creating equity in the property tax system and bringing transparency to local government. “Chamber members have made reform of local government a priority area and are focusing on the municipal taxation system in an effort to stop the subsidization of residential taxpayers through unfair business levels,” the release stated.
