I told you so: CTF says it knew TransLink could contribute to transit funding
Posted June 16, 2016 1:28 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The fact TransLink managed to come up with its 125-million dollar share has those behind the “No” campaign during the transportation plebiscite saying, “I told you so.”
TransLink will sell some land to contribute its first phase share.
Mayors wanted a new 0.5 per cent sales tax to pay the TransLink share of the ten year transit plan, but voters didn’t agree.
Jordan Bateman, BC director of the Canadian Taxpayer Federation was the spokesperson for the no campaign.
He says he knew TransLink could find savings.
“If we had just passed that sales tax like the mayors wanted, Translink didn’t have to do anything – they just would’ve bloated. They didn’t have to put in a single dollar of assets to help pay for anything. But now, we sent a message: go back and look at your own operations. Magically they found 125 million dollars worth of land that they don’t seem to need.”
Bateman says there’s likely more savings to be found within TransLink’s operations to pay for future phases.
The transportation plebiscite’s “No” campaign says it feels validated today, it says TransLink has proven it can fund its share without a sales tax.
