2027 Business Licence Fees Amendment Carried
Motion 33 · Council Meeting, July 28, 2026
Summary
- Staff recommend a 5.0% cost escalation increase to nearly all 2027 business licence, vehicles-for-hire, and animal control fees, generating approximately $1.6 million in additional annual revenue to keep pace with rising City service delivery costs.
- Live-aboard vessel licence fees are proposed to remain unchanged at 2026 levels, consistent with no increase to residential property taxes in 2026.
- Several animal control fees are proposed for market-alignment adjustments beyond the standard 5% increase, including raising dog adoption fees (e.g., dogs over 7 years or with medical conditions from $119 to $200), replacement dog tags ($8 to $10), and microchipping ($21 to $25).
- A new provision would allow pro-rated refunds of dog licence fees when a licensed dog dies during the licence year; business licence fees under the Licence By-law would be clarified as non-refundable once issued.
- In 2025, the City issued roughly 55,000 business licences, 900 vehicles-for-hire licences, and 22,300 dog licences, generating approximately $30.8 million in total licensing revenue.
- All fee changes would take effect January 1, 2027; inter-municipal business licence fees (including ride-hailing) are not subject to this annual increase and are governed separately by multi-municipality agreement.
Vote
Public comments
Read all 5 statements
Transcript
46 segments
Councillor Zhou, please go ahead. Yeah, thanks Mayor. So just have a point of information through you to the city manager about this item. So I think we heard a lot unclear from the residents and also businesses as the affordability is the number one concern they are facing right now, especially given the uncertainties of the economic situation. Just wondering if there's any way we can maybe reduce the, maybe not even reduce, maybe waive the increase of the license fees for this year, for 2027.
Thank you. For the question, I'll look to our staff to confirm, but I believe it's about a $2 million financial hit if these were not increased. That would be part of the 2027 budget. The reason we're coming to council now is I believe it's things like advertising and creating the bylaws and giving businesses ample time for any increases. but should council decide not to increase the fees and keep them flat, it's roughly a $2 million, sorry, $1.6 million hit, and that would be to the 2027 budget, which we would have those revenues offset as part of that exercise.
Okay, so if there's no increase for the license fees, can City use the statability reserve to cover this additional cost?
the city would certainly use that or other mechanisms as part of the 2027 budget.
Okay, thanks. All right, so with that, Mayor, so I'd like to move an amendment. Okay, I'm just going to go to the amendment queue.
Yeah, just circulate the amendment to everyone. please take a look. So I'll just prepare some quick remarks on this amendment. So first, I want to recognize staff. Sorry, can we pause for one sec here? I'm just going to stop your timer.
So we have to move the main motion first? Oh yeah, I'll move the main motion. Okay. Just on that, we do have other councillors in the queue, so... Clerk, what's the procedure there? Do we hear other councillors first or do we move the motion?
So Councillor Zhou can actually move the motion right now. Okay.
But he could also not. And he can also not.
Okay, sure. I'll come back to the queue. Mayor, if you can toss my timer. I'll come back to the queue. Let other people speak first. Thank you very much.
Yeah, I just thought I'd reiterate a question. I asked a deputy city measure, and just in case people missed it, I had inquired about the liveaboard rates being frozen. So I thought maybe for the benefit of council, they might want to just hear the answer in case they didn't get a chance to read it. Yeah.
Just the rationale, I think, just to be helpful to the rest of council.
Is it on?
Oh, it's late this morning, sorry. Sarah Hicks, Chief License Inspector. Liver board fees are increased in line with property taxes because they are not a property type that can be taxed in line with other properties. We have aligned since the 90s with whatever the tax rate is. So that was set at 0% for last year.
Yeah. So one just curiosity that jumped out at me was the extraordinary revenue for FIFA that was reported in here. Could you give some colors to that?
Sure. We saw a significant increase in short-term rental applications through the first five months of the year. We processed more new applications than we did the year prior. We also processed a significant number of liquor-related... amendments and temporary applications related to folks getting ready for FIFA. And then generally other kind of business licenses are a little bit up in the first half of the year to account for that.
No, no, just licensed revenue.
Great. Well, that's a bonus. I did have some questions around the animal licensing piece. And, I mean, it's been a while since I adopted my dog from Vancouver Animal Control. May she rest in the great dog park in the sky. It seems quite an extraordinary amount, though. I think it was like $420 to adopt a dog. Or $425. Is there a correlation? Have we gotten some feedback from the... pound keepers and advocates around what does that do for the adoptability of dogs? Do we end up having to keep dogs longer because people aren't adopting them when they're expensive? Is that a thing?
You know, the fees that you'll see in the report look to kind of right set our fees with rescue organizations and adoption facilities in the rest of the region. So that fee is in line with other operations. Vancouver is, you know, coming from animal shelters in other provinces. Vancouver is incredibly lucky in that animals don't tend to stay a very long time in their facility for adoption.
Generally in the lower mainland, most rescue organizations are able to... find good homes for animals in a relatively short period of time. So that fee we don't see as being one that would be an impediment to adoption. It helps to look at the types of costs and responsibility that come with owning a pet. We provide spays and neuters if they're not spayed and neutered, medical treatments while they're at the facility. vaccinations, microchipping, there's a lot that goes into the care of that animal prior to adoptions. And that only recovers a portion of what that cost would be to the organization.
We do not know what the fees are as they're set within the bylaw. We do have a different fee for animals who are going to be over the age of, I believe it's seven, and then animals who have long-term medical needs, their fees are reduced for adoption.
Yeah, thanks, Mayor. Now I'd like to table the other amendments.
I'll just move you to the amendment queue, please. Oh, wait, we have to move the motion. Sorry, that's...
I'll move the motion.
I move already. Is there a seconder?
Oh, great. Thank you very much. Okay, and then I'm going to go to the amendment queue. Counselor, Joe, please.
Yeah, thanks, Mayor. So I just want to start by recognizing staff for the work they have done in bringing forward this recommendation through the city's annual cost escalation process. I appreciate the analysis and the effort that goes into ensuring our fees reflect the cost of delivering the services. I think council's role is not simply accept automatically increase. Our responsibility is to carefully consider whether those increased costs should be passed to Vancouver residents and businesses, especially during a time when the affordability remains a major concern for many residents and business. Our business continues to face significant financial pressure from many small businesses, especially those operating in our neighborhoods. And every additional cost matters. While an individual increase may appear modest, but those costs add up and contribute to the overall challenge of doing business in Vancouver. We all know small businesses are the backbone of our local economy. They create jobs, support our neighborhoods, and contribute to the unique character of our city. Supporting them means being thoughtful about every additional financial burden we place onto the small business. At the same time, Council has asked every department to look for efficiencies as part of our commitment to 0% operating budget increase. If we are asking our organization to fund saving and improve how we deliver services, it is reasonable that we apply the same discipline. when you're reviewing the annual user fees increase. This amendment is about encouraging continued modernization and innovation and a better business process rather than relying on the inflation adjustment every year. We are also asking the organization to look for opportunities to deliver service more efficiently to keep the cost down whenever possible. So this is very consistent with Citi's broader affordability objectives and our commitment to residents and the business that we'll make reasonable decisions with taxpayers' dollars. It's a balanced and measured approach. It recognizes the need for fiscal accountability while also acknowledging the real pressure facing Vancouver families, workers, and the business. So that's why I table this amendment. Hope to get support from council. Thanks. Thank you very much.
Yeah, thanks very much. Can I just get verification?
Sorry, sorry, Councillor. Can I pause you for one second? Got it. Thank you. Sorry. That's where I was a little confused. Do we have a seconder for Councillor Zhou's amendment? Great. Thank you, Councillor Fry. Sorry, Councillor Bligh. Please go ahead.
Yeah, I'm just curious. There was a comment, and I just want to get clarification that the adoption fee for dogs older than seven years ongoing medical conditions has been reduced. I'm showing in the report from 119 to 200.
No, sorry. I wasn't clear on that. The fee is reduced compared to the regular adoption fee. Is it a percentage? Sorry?
Is it a percentage that's being calculated?
The overall fee, we are asking for it to increase in line with other rescue organizations and shelters in the district.
But it's lower.
It is lower than the full adoption rate.
Okay, yeah, that was not clear, but I understand what you're saying now. That's great.
And, yeah, actually, I think I'll leave it there for the minute. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Okay, seeing no one else in the queue on Councillor Zhou's amendment, I'm going to call the vote.
On the amendment?
Mayor, can I get a vote of assistance in favour of Councillor Klassen? You sure can. Thank you.
Is it getting a little glitchy?
Councillor Bligh?
Okay.
Okay, great.
And that passes with Councillor Orr abstaining. Okay, so that was the amendment. I'm going to go back to the question queue. Councillor Zhou, anything else? Yeah, thanks. Thanks for the support from Council. Thank you very much. Councillor Bligh?
That's a holdover.
That's a holdover? Okay. Yep.
Yep. So seeing no one else in the queue, we're going to call... A vote on the main motion as amended. Reminder, if you are online, please turn on your camera. I'm now going to call the vote.
Mayor, can I have a vote of assist in favour? It's Councillor Klassen. You sure can.
And that passes unanimously, and that completes item number eight. And so, if we could please get a motion to recess until Wednesday, July 20...
Okay, so we are going to recess until Wednesday, July the 29th, 2026 at 9.30 a.m. right here in council, in the council chambers and online. Thank you.
Statement Watch
Yeah. Thanks very much. It's quite an honor for this to be marked. It's quite important for us to mark Emancipation Day as a community. I think it's wonderful that the City of Vancouver and the Mayor of Vancouver are marking Emancipation Day. I don't think we do enough in Canada to actually mark Emancipation Day. Juneteenth is very important for Americans, and we seem to latch on to some of that. But there's obviously a lot of work to be done. The history of the relationship between the city of Vancouver and the Black communities has been, at best, a complicated one. And we hope that there will be improvements. There's a reason why the United Nations decided to have another decade to mark black presence, black dignity, addressing anti-racism against black people. And some of this is reflected in the work that is done and hasn't been done in the city of Vancouver. So this is an important day. It's an important celebration. And we hope that the work does go with the words. Thank you.
Statement Watch
I'd like to say a few words. Good day. My name is Neville Thomas.
I would like to say thanks for having us here. The group has reduced considerably, but I'm happy to be here.
Also, the presence of Dr. Andrew Wright, nice meeting you. I would like to start by saying thanks to group for your contribution, participation over all these years. This occasion is a historic one.
And at the end of all year, 26, 27, I would like you to be assured that we, the members of the anti-racism group, greatly appreciate the contribution you have made, as well as the greater population. Thank you, and we look forward to continued relationships and your contribution as we move forward.
Statement Watch
First of all, I'd like to thank all the councillors in the city of Vancouver for recognizing the contributions of my father. He's quite humble, and he didn't even know about this. We just surprised him. He just found out right now. Yeah, so Connor's been very working with us on that end. But thank you very much, and I want to thank all the family members that are here today. You all mean a lot to my dad and us, and it's a great day for him. Thank you. I just told him he was coming for lunch at City Hall. And it would be a quick 15 minutes. And yeah, I don't know if he was playing along or if he actually knew, but I don't think he knew. Are you surprised? I think it is a great surprise for me. I would like to thank for recognizing me as the founder of the Punjabi market. So I'm very thankful for the city hall and all the city Councillors for recognizing my services for the senior society and as well as for the Punjabi market. Thank you.
Statement Watch
First of all, I'd like to thank all the councillors in the city of Vancouver for recognizing the contributions of my father. He's quite humble, and he didn't even know about this. We just surprised him. He just found out right now. Yeah, so Connor's been very working with us on that end. But thank you very much, and I want to thank all the family members that are here today. You all mean a lot to my dad and us, and it's a great day for him. Thank you. I just told him he was coming for lunch at City Hall. And it would be a quick 15 minutes. And yeah, I don't know if he was playing along or if he actually knew, but I don't think he knew. Are you surprised? I think it is a great surprise for me. I would like to thank for recognizing me as the founder of the Punjabi market. So I'm very thankful for the city hall and all the city Councillors for recognizing my services for the senior society and as well as for the Punjabi market. Thank you.
Statement Watch
Well done. Thank you.
Do we get, like, the group photo?
Yeah, for sure.
We've got one more. We've got somebody else who'd like to speak. Gentlemen, it's my pleasure to know Mr. Sutakale for a long time. And I found him such a nice person, so amicable, so friendly. And I have learned a lot from him. I have read some of his books. They were very inspiring. They reflect what the community is here. So it gives me inspiration as well as good guidance. And with his inspiration, I have also written two books. One is Life and Act of Art. and today I have another poetry in daily life. The first I have presented to your worship, Damir, and today I will again, if I meet him, I will present him the other book. So Mr. Suchas is still going well. He's so energetic, even, you know, all these, you know, health problems. So it is something which is working inside him, behind him, and of course, when we say behind him, Unfortunately, his better half is not there, but his family, it's a pillar for him. So I wish Mr. Sucha all the best in his life, and I wish all the best for the family. They must continue taking care of him. Thanks a lot.