Cambie Report

Can Vancouver square the circles of it's budget?Staff have presented their budget to council calling for a 5% property tax hike, which translates to ten bucks a month for the average homeowner. And while many departments face cuts, the police think their increase is actually a decrease (math is hard) and want more. They need not fear though, because the mayor is not "anti-cop."Mayor Kennedy Stewart is also eager to further raise your taxes to fund the climate plan, which he earlier killed a funding mechanism for. Maybe the rest will come from his deja vu housing plan.Ken Sim also has a plan to address permit backlogs, which will totally not lead to abuse or staff revolt.Vancouver looks at building more homes around Renfrew and Rupert SkyTrains, while Burnaby struggles with a few townhomes by BCIT. But things are brighter in Surrey - or at least they will be once staff sanitize their housing needs report.Download the Alertable App if you live in Vancouver.Nick Lauga, Iona Bonamis and Jada Natalie Stevens  join