Special Council (2023 Draft Operating Budget)
February 28, 2023 · 09:30 am
Summary
- Council received presentations from City finance staff and the Vancouver Police Department on the 2023 Draft Operating Budget, then heard from 36 public speakers before debating and approving the budget the same evening.
- The approved $1.97 billion operating budget includes a 10.7% property tax increase, up from the originally proposed 9.7%, reflecting additional council-directed investments added during debate.
- Police: Vancouver Police Board budget approved at approximately $401.8 million, including $8 million to hire 100 new officers, $7.8 million for fixed cost increases, $7.3 million for a previously approved budget appeal and recruit training, $5.1 million for E-Comm 9-1-1 call-taking, $200,000 for a new Mount Pleasant Community Policing Centre, and $3.4 million for technology, overtime, body-worn camera pilot, and statutory holiday pay.
- Fire: $4.19 million approved for 33 new Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services positions (Year 4 of the VFRS growth plan); an external operational review also directed.
- Engineering: Funding approved for an additional pothole crew ($300,000 ongoing plus $130,000 one-time), increased horticulture services ($600,000), micro-cleaning grants for plazas and parklets ($180,000), and a dedicated snow readiness budget line ($1.8 million reallocated internally).
- Library: Vancouver Public Library budget approved at approximately $58.9 million, including funding for a staff training position in crisis intervention and mental health, and conversion of materials-handling positions to public-service roles.
- Parks: Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation budget approved at $154.8 million.
- Accessibility and equity: $300,000 to ACCS for incoming accessibility legislation; $210,000 for gender equity and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls work; $100,000 for a Language Access Specialist; direction to continue Anti-Black Racism and South Asian Cultural Redress work within existing budget.
- Planning: Staff directed to find $200,000 internally for a Seniors Planner; staff to report back in Q4 2023 on a Central Downtown Waterfront planning program and investment strategy.
- Fees and revenue: Staff directed to bring options in 2024 for development permit fee increases to achieve full cost recovery, and to review business licence, dog licence, food truck, and parking fee levels.
- Chinatown: Staff directed to report on reduced on-street parking rates and to report back at end of Q2 on street cleaning funding needs.
- Washrooms: Staff directed to include options to increase public washroom service levels in the Q2 Washroom Strategy report.
- Restorative justice: Mayor directed to write to the Premier and Minister of Public Safety to advocate for provincial investment in restorative justice programs in Vancouver and Metro Vancouver.
- Defeated amendments: A proposal by Councillors Boyle and Carr to expand library social worker positions, extend Sunday/Monday branch hours, and increase Anti-Racism funding was defeated 8-3. A proposal to set aside $6,622 to join a municipal lawsuit against oil companies was defeated 8-3.
Motions
Amendment to Amendment — VPL and ACCS Investments
Defeated Details
- Proposed replacing the two Vancouver Public Library funding items (staff training position and materials-handling conversion) with a larger $445,000 package including three social worker/community outreach positions and expanded branch hours, and increasing Anti-Racism and Cultural Redress funding in ACCS from a staff reallocation to $492,000 in new spending.
- Supporters argued the changes would better address the mental health and service demand pressures facing library staff and communities.
- Opponents preferred the original amendment's more modest and targeted investments.
Amendment — Clause 4 Horticulture Funding
Carried Details
- Added $600,000 for Engineering Services to increase horticulture service levels (e.g. parks and boulevard maintenance), funded by a property tax increase.
- Councillor Fry voted against; all others supported.
Amendment — Clause 13(d)(f) VPD Community Policing and Statutory Holiday
Carried Details
- Approved two specific VPD funding items from the provisional Police Board budget: $670,000 for one-time statutory holiday pay for the new Truth and Reconciliation Day, and $250,000 for Community Policing Centres including annual cost-of-living adjustments.
- Passed unanimously, reflecting broad council support for these targeted items.
Amendment — Clause 13(a)(b)(c)(e)(g)(h) VPD Technology and Overtime
Carried Details
- Approved the remaining VPD technology and operational items: $747,500 for a Digital Evidence Management System, $415,500 for cell phones, $200,000 for a body-worn camera pilot, $969,468 for one-time sworn overtime related to an unprecedented volume of protests, $100,000 for contract awards, and $39,598 for operating impacts of capital adjustments.
- Councillors Boyle, Carr, and Fry opposed, citing concerns about the overall scale of police budget increases.
Amendment — Remaining Clauses 1-3, 5-12, 14-20
Carried Details
- Approved all remaining clauses of the main amendment covering fire services, engineering, library, ACCS, planning, and other city services investments (clauses 1-3, 5-12, and 14-20).
- Passed unanimously, indicating broad agreement on non-police investments in the budget.
Amendment — Sue Big Oil Reserve
Defeated Details
- Proposed setting aside $6,622 (approximately $0.01 per resident) as a reserve contribution toward a potential joint B.C. municipalities lawsuit against oil companies, funded by reallocation within the Planning, Urban Design and Sustainability budget.
- Supporters argued it was a low-cost way for Vancouver to signal commitment to climate accountability and join other municipalities in legal action.
- Opponents questioned the appropriateness of using operating budget funds for litigation reserves and the relevance to core city services.
Amendment — Restorative Justice Letter
Carried Details
- Directed the Mayor to write to the BC Premier and the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General to advocate for provincial investment in restorative justice programs in Vancouver and across Metro Vancouver.
- Framed as a complement to increased policing investment, recognizing that restorative justice can reduce reoffending and relieve pressure on the criminal justice system.
Amendment — Central Downtown Waterfront Planning
Carried Details
- Directed staff to report back in Q4 2023 with a Central Downtown Waterfront planning program and investment strategy, and to include funding for this planning program in the draft 2024 operating budget.
- Reflects council interest in long-term planning for the downtown waterfront area.
Approve 2023 Draft Operating Budget — A(a) VPD New Officers
Carried Details
- Approved $8 million in new funding to enable the hiring of 100 new Vancouver police officers, fulfilling a key ABC party election commitment.
- Councillors Boyle, Carr, and Fry opposed, arguing the funds would be better directed to social services and alternative public safety approaches.
- VPD presentation cited a 12% rise in violent crime, a 30% rise in serious assaults, and sworn officer numbers that have not kept pace with population growth since 2009.
Approve 2023 Draft Operating Budget — A(b)(c)(d)(e)(f) and VPB Budget
Carried Details
- Approved the remaining Vancouver Police Board budget increases: $7.8 million for fixed cost increases (compensation, benefits, fleet), $7.3 million for the 2021 VPD budget appeal and JIBC recruit training, $5.1 million for E-Comm 9-1-1 call-taking, $200,000 for a new Mount Pleasant Community Policing Centre, and $3.4 million for the technology and operational items approved in earlier amendments.
- Total Vancouver Police Board 2023 budget set at approximately $401.8 million in expenditures.
- Councillor Boyle opposed; all others supported.
Approve 2023 Draft Operating Budget — B to J
Carried Details
- Approved the full remaining budget package covering Parks ($154.8 million), Library ($58.9 million), Property Endowment Fund ($57.5 million), VAHEF ($12.8 million), all city service investments in section F, the overall $1.97 billion operating budget with a 10.7% property tax increase, direction to develop multi-year financial strategies, the restorative justice letter, and the Central Downtown Waterfront planning direction.
- Passed unanimously.
Agenda documents (4)
ROLL CALL
1. 2023 Draft Operating Budget
Vote matrix
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Sim🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Rebecca Bligh🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Christine Boyle🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y |
| Adriane Carr🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y |
| Lisa Dominato🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Pete Fry🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y |
| Sarah Kirby-Yung🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Mike Klassen🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Peter Meiszner🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Brian Montague🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Lenny Zhou🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Lucy Maloney🥜 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sean Orr🥜 |