It is surprising it has taken this long for municipal governments in the eastern Fraser Valley to discover the potential revenue stream that’s been tapped for so long by Metro Vancouver.

Every motorist filling up west of Abbotsford adds 12 cents a litre to TransLink’s coffers. That tax generates about $265 million in annual revenue.

A two-cent gas tax is now something the city of Abbotsford is thinking about adopting. And it’s inviting Chilliwack to join the party.

Local politicians are understandably cautious. Not only is there the political price to consider, but also the logistics of distributing a consumption tax fairly that is collected regionally.

Certainly, as Chilliwack Mayor Sharon Gaetz told The Progress last week, no one likes a new tax. The challenge facing governments, however, is to meet the growing demands for transit and transportation infrastructure improvements with finite funds.

The B.C. Chamber of Commerce would like to see less and less of that money coming from property taxes, and more coming instead from consumption taxes like a gas tax. It’s a user-pay premise, where those who use the roads are the ones who pay for them.

What is encouraging is to hear politicians and business leaders talk about regional solutions to transportation issues. Transit connectivity between Abottsford and Chilliwack remains an elusive goal as efforts are made to encourage economic development while lessening our dependency on cars.

Within Chilliwack, meanwhile, bus service is still only available on an hourly basis. Mayor Gaetz says she’d like to expand that service, but acknowledges it will take money.

The gas tax is one way to find that money. It won’t be very popular, but it is at least worthy of examination as a means to help fund necessary transportation infrastructure improvements.

—Chilliwack Progress

(Black Press)