B.C. Urban Mayors’ caucus says federal budget hits key points for B.C.

The B.C. Urban Mayors’ Caucus (BCUMC) has stated that the 2022 federal budget supports a majority of the province’s priorities.

The BCUMC, which is a coalition of 13 non-partisan mayors, including the mayor of Kelowna, said the budget shows the federal government’s commitment to improving the affordability, quality of life and sustainability of communities.

In a written statement, the caucus said it appreciates Ottawa’s commitment to help cities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and assist residents and businesses as they innovate and grow.

“The pandemic has only further exacerbated longstanding homelessness and affordable housing crises in our communities,” said Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran, Co-Chair of the BCUMC.

“The federal government’s allocation of $10 billion to be spent over the coming five years on those priority issues will make an impact towards solutions. As the mayors of B.C.’s large urban communities, we are attuned to the housing challenges our residents are facing. We continue to implement spending, land-use policies, neighborhood plans, and zoning bylaws that will complement the impact of Federal investments in housing. Our communities are ideal sites for rapid disbursement of federal housing funds.”

The BCUMC has a blueprint for B.C.’s urban future, which has four main components, nearly all of which were addressed in the federal budget.

The coalition stated that the federal government’s investments in mental health and substance use is essential to supporting the most vulnerable British Columbians. It champions the renewed funding for the Substance Use and Addictions Program as it is a key resource for supporting harm reduction, treatment and prevention across the province.

Another key issue for the BCUMC is public transit and active transportation, which is addressed in the budget. The document puts an emphasis on electric vehicles, infrastructure and fleet investments. The BCUMC noted that it hopes to see ongoing and renewed focus on federal funding for the electrification of public transit fleets, which it said is crucial for reducing carbon emissions while also supporting economic recovery.

Affordable housing, which is also a priority in the BCUMC blueprint, is addressed in the budget’s commitment to provide significant funding for housing.

However, the final piece of the BCUMC blueprint, a new fiscal framework, appeared to be missed in the federal budget.

It was noted that investments in municipal public safety was absent in the budget, even while municipalities across the province and the country serviced by the RCMP face multi-million dollar invoices for retroactive pay agreed upon by the Federal government in negotiations behind closed doors.

“Municipal policing is entirely funded through taxation and is the largest budget items for local governments,” said Mayor Basran.

“As we anticipate receiving the invoice for the 24 per cent wage increase and retroactive pay, the millions of dollars are costs that will be passed directly to taxpayers adding another layer of costs and affordability impact. We continue to ask the federal government to review its decision by collaborating and supporting municipalities in paying for their decision.”

The BCUMC said it would work with the federal government to see that programs included in Budget 2022 are rolled out and benefit all B.C. residents and businesses.