The Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce has sent a letter to Mayor George Peary and Council supporting the creation of a business plan leading to the implementation of a City of Abbotsford fuel tax.

“The Transportation Committee at the Chamber worked through this issue throughout the spring and brought a recommendation to the board which was approved at our April board meeting”, said Chamber board chair Sir James Barlow.

“We are not naive, we know at the outset a tax of this nature will not be well liked but often the correct and bold decisions are not the most popular.”

The Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce joins the B.C. and Canadian Chambers of Commerce in calling on all levels of government to devise alternatives to property tax to create funding for ever increasing and unprecedented demands being placed on Canadian communities.

“The original property tax system was not designed, or is capable of in the long term, to adequately fund demands that have been placed, or downloaded, on municipalities.” said Chamber executive director David D. Hull.

“Property tax was meant to fund the basic services provided by a municipality; good governance, protective services, recreation, transportation, sewer and water,” Hull said.

“Now with either downloading or changes in expectation of delivery providers you have municipalities across the country expected to deal with social and mental health issues, infrastructure that was traditionally the provincial or federal fiscal domain and a myriad of other issues that the current property tax system cannot sustain.”

Direct benefit taxation is seen as a viable alternative to property taxes.

“No one likes taxes,” said Barlow. “But at least with direct benefit taxation folks can demonstrably see their money in action as opposed to having it disappear into the great abyss of general taxation and then doled out in some disproportionate manner.”

The Chamber has committed to support Mayor Peary and council if they choose to develop a local fuel tax system.

“We are prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with City Hall when it comes to making the tough and probably unpopular decisions that are needed to ensure the future success of our city,” said Hull.