Bell: Calgary council wants to talk to UCP on new taxes for Calgarians

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A warning earlier than everybody spills their espresso.

This column is about metropolis corridor speaking extra taxes on Calgarians.

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It’s not taking place right now. It’s not taking place tomorrow. It could by no means occur.

However you don’t wait till the final second earlier than you warn individuals about what may occur.

Right here goes.

Earlier this week, on the identical day the vast majority of Calgary metropolis council voted for an enormous fats tax hike in addition they put their hand up for an additional concept.

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Metropolis corridor thinks they’re exhausting achieved by. They’ve at all times thought they’re exhausting achieved by. They are going to in all probability at all times assume they’re exhausting achieved by.

They’re the sports activities automobile proprietor who feels exhausting achieved by as a result of they don’t have a Ferrari.

They really feel they’re exhausting achieved by to the tune of $311 million a 12 months.

They spend some huge cash. They’ve an enormous urge for food. They’ve an enormous payroll of paper pushers to feed. They’ve a ton of pet initiatives.

A report final fall confirmed town rainy-day fund swimming in billions and pleading poverty.

I do know, I do know. They’ve bought numerous locations to spend that cash. They at all times do.

Anyway, town needs that $311 million. They would favor if Premier Danielle Smith and her authorities would simply cough up the money a technique or one other.

However in addition they have a thick report and in a single 46-page chapter they discuss “new income instruments.”

In plain English that’s taxes and charges.

A number of the taxes and charges town has the authority to do proper now.

There are different taxes and charges past town’s authority.

However the trial balloons are floated.

Private earnings tax, company earnings tax, occupational privilege tax, street pricing, promoting tax, telecommunications franchise charges, municipal basic gross sales tax, lodging tax, parking tax, gas tax, tobacco tax, amusement tax, land switch tax, alcohol tax, hashish tax, automobile registration tax, insurance coverage premium tax and carbon tax.

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There’s a shortlist the authors say “can serve the Metropolis of Calgary effectively.”

One of many quickest doable choices is a Municipal Gasoline Tax.

In Montreal, it’s 3 cents a litre.

Within the report the deep-thinkers say this is able to be an incentive to make use of much less fuel or shift to an electrical automobile and that “could be optimistic reinforcement for the Local weather Technique.”

One other quickest doable possibility for the consultants is the Automobile Registration Tax.

They are saying Montreal collects $45 a 12 months on prime of the price from the Quebec authorities.

“A automobile registration tax would positively reinforce efforts to cut back greenhouse-gas emissions and site visitors and parking congestion,” say the deep-thinkers.

Within the medium time period, there are alternatives just like the Municipal Private Revenue Tax.

Essentially the most cheap and simple approach could be a surcharge to the prevailing earnings tax system. A stand-alone municipal earnings tax would contain extra administration prices.

The deep-thinkers determine in 2021 this is able to have raised $420 million.

The Municipal Normal Gross sales Tax could be long run since with out an Alberta gross sales tax the most cost effective approach could be to piggyback the 1% metropolis gross sales tax on the GST.

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In 2021 town would have scooped $356 million.

“A municipal gross sales tax could be extra possible if the Alberta authorities explored it,” say the deep-thinkers.

There’s extra however you’ll be able to see the place this film is headed.

Evan Spencer, a councillor from southeast Calgary and within the Gondek majority, speaks with nice ardour.

Spencer, elected by individuals in Auburn Bay, Cranston and McKenzie Towne, speaks of stark details and the so-called funding hole and demanding exhausting conversations.

“Decisive motion is required to safeguard the pursuits of our residents,” he says.

It’s then council is requested to direct metropolis corridor brass to speak to the Smith authorities in regards to the report, together with the 46-page chapter on new taxes and charges, and discover out what they assume.

They request Mayor Jyoti Gondek ship a letter to Smith’s level man on cities, Ric McIver.

All of council votes Sure, besides Sean Chu.

Nobody else indicators they aren’t fascinated by new taxes and charges.

Possibly they didn’t learn the report. What a merciless factor to say. A council member not studying a report. That may by no means occur.

Smith’s individuals in fact will say no, besides their no will probably be in capital letters and with an exclamation mark.

NO!

Calgary metropolis corridor has pulled this stunt with the province earlier than and failed. Headlines going up in smoke.

Nonetheless, a No now won’t be a No later.

What if an individual way more sympathetic to metropolis corridor’s needs have been to turn into premier?

Somebody like … oh … Naheed Nenshi.

Don’t say you weren’t warned.

rbell@postmedia.com

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