Question 4

4. The Park Board (and City) is under increasing pressure to find new ways to finance park upgrades, deliver new parks, and cover other capital and operational costs. How do you propose financing your priorities in the context of the broader City budgeting process?

Leonard VANDERSTAR (202) – First and foremost, funding via commercialization and privatization of our parks must end. Parks & associated recreation facilities should be adequately maintain and even enhanced via Vancouver’s tax base, provincial & federal grants, and affordable user fees. Quality of experience and accessibility should never loose focus. Of course, this is a collaborative effort between the Park Board and the City in terms of coming up with financing that is acceptable to both parties.

Sacia BURTON (215) – Generations of City Councils have chipped away at the Park Board budget, with this year’s $15 million dollar cut being the latest blow to investment in public space. COPE is ready to build back our city’s capacity to invest in parks and community centers, because we have a plan to tax the rich. In particular, Council candidates are ready to bring forward a more robust empty homes tax and lead the way towards progressive property tax for high-value properties.

In addition, it is crucial for City Council to ensure that Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) are secured during zoning and permitting to build a reserve of funds allotted for public realm enhancement. Recent governments’ willingness to slacken CAC requirements have left a daunting, but not insurmountable, investment gap.

The Capital Plan borrowing questions on this election’s ballot also present a significant opportunity to close the investment gap. Given the need for renewal across multiple facilities and for investment to meet myriad climate and accessibility targets, voting “yes” to the Capital Plan borrowing questions will open up funds for the city to tackle crucial infrastructure projects as soon as possible.

Tom DIGBY (222) – Green Park Board commissioners advocated for a $1.4b investment in parks and recreation facilities. The Mayor responded with a plan to invest $400m. It was deeply disappointing. We continued our advocacy with staff and ended up approving a $739m plan backed by staff, council and park board. Current city debt is only $600m, we pay it down at -$200m a year. The city can afford to borrow the money for this investment and pay it off over time.

Michael Robert CADITZ (226) – Council should adequately fund parks and recreation from the tax base. “Think Big” commercialization will be halted. Our parks should not be commercialized. Citizens should not be bombarded with advertising or blocked by closures for private events when accessing their parks.

Niknaz ALEMI (231) – I think the first step is being very clear about our priorities. We are working with limited public resources, so I don’t think the answer is simply promising more projects or continuously increasing fees. I would use an evidence based approach to identify where investment is most urgent, looking at the condition of existing infrastructure, safety, population growth, equity, access and long term resilience. We already have a lot of this research through VanPlay and the 2023–2026 Capital Plan, and I think we should actually use it when making budget decisions.

Funding should also come from different sources. As Vancouver grows and adds density, development should contribute fairly to the parks and recreation infrastructure that growth creates demand for. At the same time, the City has a responsibility to properly maintain and renew the public infrastructure we already have. I also think we need to look beyond the municipal budget, especially when it comes to climate adaptation. Climate resilience is a national and provincial concern as much as a local one, and cities are on the front line of dealing with heat, flooding, wildfire smoke and other impacts. Vancouver should actively pursue provincial and federal funding and partnerships for this work. For me, responsible budgeting means using evidence to set priorities, being transparent about what we can afford, and making sure public money goes where it can have the greatest long term impact.