Vancouver City Council |
Motion on Notice
Submitted by Councillor Ladner for the Regular Council Meeting of May 18, 2004
1. Take the Tax Off Transit
MOVER: Councillor Peter Ladner
SECONDER: Councillor Sam Sullivan
WHEREAS, employees who receive employer-paid parking in unmarked spaces pay no income tax on that benefit;
AND WHEREAS, employees who receive an employer-paid transit pass pay income tax on that benefit;
AND WHEREAS, Vancouver City Council policy is give priority to transit over automobile travel as a means to promote clean air, relieve traffic congestion and increase public safety;
AND WHEREAS, 80 per cent of Canadian workers receive employer-paid parking spaces, including many City of Vancouver employees, giving those employees an incentive to drive that is larger than incentives to other employees who use other forms of transportation;
AND WHEREAS, Vancouver City Council has agreed that City of Vancouver employees who drive to work should not receive free parking as a benefit that is not available to other employees who walk, cycle or take transit, thus establishing the policy of equity between auto-users and other employees;
AND WHEREAS, this Council has endorsed transit fare increases proposed by Translink;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, Vancouver City Council send a letter to the Federal Government asking them to amend the Income Tax Act to take the tax off transit by exempting employer-purchased transit passes from employees' taxable income.
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