Frequently asked questions

Continued improvements to the streets, sidewalks and arterial roads serving our community will remain a priority.

We need to examine our public transit system and ensure we are providing a service that properly serves the needs of our community and is financially accountable.  I feel very strongly about looking at a right size bus for Fort St John and any other possible partnerships to gain efficiencies.

The downtown area of Fort St. John has tremendous opportunity to develop and grow into a city core that is fun, safe, attractive and successful.  With the several vacant development lots such as the former Fort Hotel property, the former Sew-It-Yourself building, soon the old hospital and others, the City is in a position now to work cooperatively with all members of the community to build a plan that outlines the kind of development and improvements that we want in our City core. Through a broad-base consultation and visioning exercise, it is my goal as Mayor to build a plan that will guide the development of our downtown.

The downtown vision has just begun its process.  Any discussion on this topic so far has only been converstion shared at the first downtown walkshop/walkshop.

Many of the residents and businesses of areas surrounding Fort St. John make use of our water and sewer infrastructure. The impact of growth in the region will impact the City’s ability to provide this service to our community.   We need to initiate dialogue to ensure sustainability.

I have worked with numerous businesses in Fort St John and area to build capacity and innovation.  Many needed resources to take their innovation from concept to commercialization and I am proud to say that I was there when the ribbons were cut at the openings. Businesses don’t need a hand out or a hand up, they just need an environment that is conducive to operating efficiently.

As the Executive Director for Sci-Tech North, I was successful in getting a pilot project for the Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada’s “Increasing the Talent” project.  Understanding the decision-making points that a potential employee makes when they choose an industry, career, community and why they would exit or stay is imperative to recruiting.  We developed tools that are now a part of a toolkit that assists with this.  I understand this process.

Economic Development must be taken seriously, be proactive and effective. Taxation Policies must be fair and future solution oriented.  They must keep us sustainable, financially responsible and accountable to new development. While the first dollar industries will bring the dollars to the community, it is the retail, hospitality and other services that must be enhanced to ensure that we get that dollar floating around town several times before it leaves.  In the economic development world it is known as the multiplier.

Recommendation #1

The tax ratio paid by the Light Industrial Class (Class 5) should be reduced from its current level (approximately 5.8) to a ratio of 3.0 and that the cost of this reduction is to be borne by the Residential Class (Class 1). Further, this reduction in the tax ratio for the Light Industrial Class should be phased-in equally over a three year period.

• We reviewed the properties listed in the Light Industrial Class.  Many of them are major companies.  Instead of lowering this over 3 years and putting this onto the residential class, we requested staff to look into some of those business that we felt were incorrectly classed.  Once they were removed, we would then look at whether or not we would consider decreasing their ratio to the recommended 3.0 and increase residential further.
• In a nutshell, instead of a 3 year phase in period with an increase at 33% each year, we went with a 5 year phase in period with a 20% increase.  During this time, we have given ourselves further time to revisit why we would advance a tax ration decrease to large corporations.

Recommendation #2

The City should reduce the tax ratio of the Business Class to 2.7 from the current 2.968 and do so in equal steps over four years and that the cost of this change in the tax ratio is to be borne by the Residential Class (Class 1).

• This has been a gradual process.  The 2011 ratio was 2.7982 (Residential Ratio is the base: 1)

Recommendation #3

The City should discontinue the present $50.00 parcel tax on Class one properties and build the equivalent aggregate tax revenue into the residential mill rate.

• Done

Recommendation #4

The City should, within the coming year, determine a new policy for the mill rate borne by Major Industrial Class.

• Done, we no longer use the Port rate that was originally used.

Recommendation #5

The City develop a strategy for boundary extensions, a strategy that addresses a “fair revenue sharing” with the Province that considers the implications of having individuals just outside the City limits that use, but do not necessarily pay, for some City provided services.

• We have initiated a boundary expansion