Oak Bay Watch Bulletin: May 22, 2021 - New Increased Tax Responsibility
The Secondary Suite Guide – for Local Governments, co-authored by City Spaces our Secondary Suite Consultant Firm, promotes legalizing multi-occupant secondary suites. Page #9 states as a “Benefit to the community” that “Expansion of lower-cost rental housing without the need for government subsidies.” And that, “Secondary Suites is low-impact densification”.
Provincial Government’s have openly admitted that promoting secondary suites will significantly reduce the Provincial Government’s need to provide subsidized housing.
Not to mention and Notwithstanding:
In effect this means: The Provincial Government wants municipal residents to accept that providing subsidized housing (albeit mainly unregulated) is now their responsibility. Members of the BC Legislature don’t seem to realize that they collect the bulk of provincial tax dollars and the purpose of this includes the provision of adequate subsidized housing.
Also, that legalizing multi-occupant secondary suites has many harmful impacts and comes with substantial taxation costs for the majority of community residents that do not or cannot have a suite.
That the beleaguered municipal property tax owner is already over-burdened with high Federal, Provincial and Local government taxes, and all of the downloading of services in the last decade, and is now expected to subsidize infill housing.
Oak Bay Watch Perspective
We had hoped that the above information and insightful analysis had occurred to Oak Bay Council Members and they would have realized that Oak Bay residents are already providing all of the (750 existing suites) “subsidized housing” that they can afford.
However, in light of this Council’s willingness to spend so many of your tax dollars on their densification initiatives, their understanding of this rationale seems unlikely. Perhaps this is why Council and staff have omitted to mention just how much their proposed infill subsidized development will further distort the property tax base.
We also wonder why there hasn't been any reports for the enforcement officer or the fire chief or for that matter any real indication of what exactly are the additional benefits to the Community. Had it been possible for the District, and had it been willing to tax homeowners with suites for the additional municipal services required our exceptionally high taxes might have been more reasonable.
Oak Bay Council has estimated the number of new suites to be in the range of 1500-1700. Is this why, ahead of a Secondary Suite Resident Survey, Council have failed to reveal any enforcement or registration program costs.
Also impacts such as overloading infrastructure noise and increased traffic on Oak Bay’s quiet streets have now been downplayed. Other Communities have been forced, to charge user fees for the increased services required by the new subsidized suite-housing.
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“Nothing is inevitable if you are paying attention” Oak Bay Watch
*******Please help us continue to provide you with information about Community concerns and Council decisions and actions. Oak Bay Watch members also help community groups with their specific development concerns. Donate to Oak Bay Watch - even $5 or $10 dollars provides expenses for door- to- door handouts and helps us maintain our website. Oak Bay Watch is committed to ensuring the Community gets the full range of information on budget, governance and all key development issues – a well-informed opinion cannot be made without this.
(Please use Donate Button at bottom of oakbaywatch.com Home Page)
Keep informed and sign up for our newsletter – bottom of Newsletter Menu Item.
The Secondary Suite Guide – for Local Governments, co-authored by City Spaces our Secondary Suite Consultant Firm, promotes legalizing multi-occupant secondary suites. Page #9 states as a “Benefit to the community” that “Expansion of lower-cost rental housing without the need for government subsidies.” And that, “Secondary Suites is low-impact densification”.
Provincial Government’s have openly admitted that promoting secondary suites will significantly reduce the Provincial Government’s need to provide subsidized housing.
Not to mention and Notwithstanding:
- All of the disadvantages and impacts this significant densification initiative places on existing municipal residents without a suite,
- The fact that the number of suites increases exponentially, and as the evidence shows, will be untaxed and the majority unregistered and,
- Is placing families in basements preferable to proper housing?
In effect this means: The Provincial Government wants municipal residents to accept that providing subsidized housing (albeit mainly unregulated) is now their responsibility. Members of the BC Legislature don’t seem to realize that they collect the bulk of provincial tax dollars and the purpose of this includes the provision of adequate subsidized housing.
Also, that legalizing multi-occupant secondary suites has many harmful impacts and comes with substantial taxation costs for the majority of community residents that do not or cannot have a suite.
That the beleaguered municipal property tax owner is already over-burdened with high Federal, Provincial and Local government taxes, and all of the downloading of services in the last decade, and is now expected to subsidize infill housing.
Oak Bay Watch Perspective
We had hoped that the above information and insightful analysis had occurred to Oak Bay Council Members and they would have realized that Oak Bay residents are already providing all of the (750 existing suites) “subsidized housing” that they can afford.
However, in light of this Council’s willingness to spend so many of your tax dollars on their densification initiatives, their understanding of this rationale seems unlikely. Perhaps this is why Council and staff have omitted to mention just how much their proposed infill subsidized development will further distort the property tax base.
We also wonder why there hasn't been any reports for the enforcement officer or the fire chief or for that matter any real indication of what exactly are the additional benefits to the Community. Had it been possible for the District, and had it been willing to tax homeowners with suites for the additional municipal services required our exceptionally high taxes might have been more reasonable.
Oak Bay Council has estimated the number of new suites to be in the range of 1500-1700. Is this why, ahead of a Secondary Suite Resident Survey, Council have failed to reveal any enforcement or registration program costs.
Also impacts such as overloading infrastructure noise and increased traffic on Oak Bay’s quiet streets have now been downplayed. Other Communities have been forced, to charge user fees for the increased services required by the new subsidized suite-housing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Nothing is inevitable if you are paying attention” Oak Bay Watch
*******Please help us continue to provide you with information about Community concerns and Council decisions and actions. Oak Bay Watch members also help community groups with their specific development concerns. Donate to Oak Bay Watch - even $5 or $10 dollars provides expenses for door- to- door handouts and helps us maintain our website. Oak Bay Watch is committed to ensuring the Community gets the full range of information on budget, governance and all key development issues – a well-informed opinion cannot be made without this.
(Please use Donate Button at bottom of oakbaywatch.com Home Page)
Keep informed and sign up for our newsletter – bottom of Newsletter Menu Item.