Summerland wants province to reinstate revenue sharing program
Penticton Herald
January 17, 2008
By: Susan McIver

Summerland mayor and council are joining other municipalities in requesting the provincial government reinstate a revenue sharing program.

Monday council authorized the mayor to send a letter to the provincial government requesting steps be taken in the upcoming budget to address the municipal fiscal imbalance by reinstating the program.

Prior to 1997, the Revenue Sharing Act provided for transfer of a portion of the provincial sales tax, corporate income tax and resource revenues to municipal governments.

The previous provincial government eliminated these transfers, which forced municipalities to increase their reliance on property taxes as a source of revenue, chief administrative officer Don DeGagne said Monday.

While senior levels of government have been able to reduce taxes in the past decade, the burden on municipal taxpayers has grown as responsibilities, such as social housing, child care and transportation and regional policing, have been downloaded on municipalities….