"

!une 27, 2014

vla emall: mlnlsLer.LransporLaLlon[gov.bc.ca

Ponourable 1odd SLone, MLA
MlnlsLer of 1ransporLaLlon and lnfrasLrucLure
C 8ox 9033 SLn rov CovL
vlcLorla, 8C v8W 9L2

uear MlnlsLer SLone,

1hank you for your leLLer of !une 24, 2014 ln response Lo our !une 12, 2014 submlsslon
of Lhe Mayors' Councll 8eglonal 1ransporLaLlon vlslon and lnvesLmenL lan. AlLhough
we are dlsappolnLed wlLh some of poslLlons arLlculaLed ln your leLLer, Lhe Mayors'
Councll belleves LhaL we owe lL Lo Lhe clLlzens and buslnesses of our reglon Lo
conLlnue our work and Lo engage wlLh Lhe rovlnce Lo flnd a way Lo move forward on
Lhe plan LhaL was requesLed by Lhe MlnlsLry.

1he Mayors' Councll meL yesLerday and has a number of commenLs and requesLs for
addlLlonal clarlflcaLlon, whlch are very relevanL Lo our movlng forward. We
acknowledge Lhe leglslaLlon whlch came lnLo effecL on Wednesday, buL our collecLlve
poslLlon remalns LhaL Lhe referendum ls noL sound pollcy, and LhaL Lhe rovlnce ls
abrogaLlng lLs reglonal responslblllLy by noL Laklng a more acLlve and supporLlve role ln
lLs lmplemenLaLlon of LranslL and LransporLaLlon.

lurLher, Lhe 1ransLlnk governance model remalns unnecessarlly complex and wlLhouL
Lhe key fundlng Lools necessary Lo address Lhe reglon's needs. 1he Mayors' Councll ls
calllng on Lhe rovlnclal CovernmenL, once agaln, Lo make addlLlonal amendmenLs Lo
Lhe governance sLrucLure Lo provlde Lhe Mayors' Councll wlLh overslghL of 1ransLlnk's
operaLlng budgeL - LhaL poslLlon ls broadly held and lnLernaLlonal besL pracLlces
subsLanLlaLe lL. As sLaLed ln our prlor leLLer daLed !une 12, 2014, lf Lhls does noL occur,
we are noL aL all confldenL LhaL our vlslon or lnvesLmenL lan wlll be reallzed.

1he Mayors' Councll appreclaLes your poslLlve commenLs abouL Lhe scope and quallLy
of Lhe vlslon and lnvesLmenL lan. lL ls Lhe resulL of a sLrong collaboraLlon beLween
reglonal Mayors, MeLro vancouver and 1ransLlnk plannlng sLaff. 1o be able Lo


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compleLe a plan ldenLlfylng LransporLaLlon prlorlLles and posslble fundlng sources
wlLhln such a LlghL Llme frame was a slgnlflcanL achlevemenL of whlch Lhe Mayors'
Councll ls qulLe rlghLly proud. lL ls also graLlfylng Lo know LhaL, based on our publlc
engagemenL work Lhere ls subsLanLlve publlc supporL for Lhe plan and Lhe fundlng
sources LhaL have been ldenLlfled.

1he Mayors' Councll flnds Lhe governmenL's poslLlon on Lhe posslble fundlng sources
Lo be puzzllng (re[ecLlon of Lhe carbon Lax and supporL for properLy Lax lncreases and
moblllLy prlclng), glven Lhe conLlnulng rellance on Lhe somewhaL arblLrary and
amblguous fundlng source crlLerla ldenLlfled by Lhe rovlnce (belng affordable for
famllles, havlng no negaLlve lmpacL on Lhe economy, belng reglonal ln naLure and noL
lmpacLlng provlnclal revenue).

We are unclear because any new revenue source or lncrease ln exlsLlng sources such
as properLy Lax would cerLalnly have lmpacLs on famllles, Lhe economy and provlnclal
revenue and Lherefore lL would appear LhaL Lhe rovlnce has seL a sLandard LhaL ls
vlrLually lmposslble Lo meeL. As such, we ask LhaL you clarlfy wheLher Lhe remalnlng
sources dlscussed - addlLlonal reglonal carbon Lax, vehlcle levy and addlLlonal sales Lax
- meeL Lhe rovlnce's requlremenL. CommlLLlng Lo a referendum wlLhouL knowlng
wheLher we have a fundlng source approved by Lhe rovlnce ls a dlfflculL sLep.

lurLhermore, Lhe Mayors' Councll ls somewhaL concerned by Lhe suggesLlon LhaL we
push back even furLher Lhe ma[or caplLal pro[ecLs, speclflcally key pro[ecLs for our Lwo
largesL and fasLesL growlng clLles. 1he opLlon of dolng llLLle or noLhlng ln Lhe nexL 10
years because we cannoL come Lo some agreemenL on Lhe Llmlng, scope or fundlng
sources wlll, ln our vlew, have an even greaLer lmpacL on famllles, Lhe economy and
provlnclal revenue from Lhe lower malnland.

Whlle we appreclaLe Lhe llmlLaLlons ln Lhe currenL federal caplLal fundlng model, Lhe
Mayors' Councll feels LhaL Lhls [usL relnforces Lhe need for Lhe rovlnce Lo work wlLh
Lhe Mayors Lo press our case wlLh Lhe federal governmenL for more funds, much as we
already seen happenlng ln oLher parLs of Lhe counLry.

We know how successful oLher communlLles across Canada have been over Lhe years
ln securlng fundlng for Lhelr reglonal pro[ecLs, and Lhe crlLlcal role LhaL [olnL advocacy
plays. A unlLed poslLlon from Lhe rovlnce and all lower malnland Mayors would
presenL a Lruly compelllng volce Lo Lhe federal governmenL. We hope Lo work wlLh you
ln advocaLlng for Lhe lmporLance of LranslL Lo Lhe economy and fuLure of our reglon,
whlch ls Lhe blggesL economlc englne of Lhe provlnce. 1hls vlslon wlll llkely susLaln
Lhrough a number of governmenLs, elecLlons and naLlonal caplLal programs, and our
collecLlve experlence ls LhaL Lhe large pro[ecLs requlre a sLeadfasL [olnL resolve raLher
Lhan deflecLlon.


$
lL conLlnues Lo be of Lhe Mayors' Councll vlew LhaL such a complex and lmporLanL
lssue of reglonal slgnlflcance should noL be declded by a referendum, however, ln
order Lo comply wlLh Lhe leglslaLlon, we are suggesLlng LhaL Lhe referendum - lf lL goes
ahead - be held ln March 2013.
SecLlon 2(6) of Lhe leglslaLlon sLaLes:
"#$% &'()*+, -)./-01 )/ *%20)/'1 3*'/+4)*3'30)/ &.+3 &'5% *%-)&&%/6'30)/+
3) 3$% &0/0+3%* *%+4%-30/2 3$% -)/3%/3 )7 3$% 8.%+30)/ )* 8.%+30)/+ 3) 9%
4*%+-*09%6:;
1he Mayor's Councll suggesLs LhaL Lhe referendum conslsL of Lwo quesLlons: Lhe flrsL
belng an lndlcaLlon of supporL for Lhe 10 year lnvesLmenL plan and Lhe second belng
an lndlcaLlon of supporL for one or more of Lhe revenue sources ldenLlfled ln Lhe
reporL.
1he nexL meeLlng of Lhe Mayors' Councll ls scheduled !uly 29, 2014 whereln we hope
Lo conslder your response and conclude whaL our role ln a referendum mlghL be, whaL
fundlng source(s) Lo lnclude, and whaL wordlng mlghL be accepLable for all parLles. We
appreclaLe your ongolng dlscusslons concernlng Lhese lssues LhaL are crlLlcal Lo Lhe
lmmedlaLe fuLure of Lhe economlc healLh and quallLy of llfe wlLhln our reglon.

?ours Lruly,

Mayor 8lchard WalLon lCA
Chalr, Mayors' Councll on 8eglonal 1ransporLaLlon

Cc: Mayors' Councll on 8eglonal 1ransporLaLlon