Vancouver Fire Fighters’ Union Local 18 president Gord Ditchburn told Business in Vancouver September 7 that the city has asked his union to prepare proposals for how the Vancouver Fire Department could operate with up to $4 million in cuts to its $85 million budget.
He said the reduction would be equivalent to chopping 40 jobs and one of Vancouver’s 20 fire halls.
Ditchburn added that the Point Grey Fire Hall has the least call volume.
“[Closing that fire hall would] open up the geographic area between fire halls very wide and that puts a number of residents at peril if they decide to cut that,” he said. “If you think of it [Point Grey] has the highest tax base in the city.”
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson would not rule out a $4 million cut to fire and rescue services.
“We’re faced with having to balance and understand where taxpayers are at in terms of services [cuts] versus property tax [hikes],” he told BIV on September 2.
Critics lambasted Robertson earlier this summer for living lavishly even though city finances are tight. The cost of city hall renovations and foreign travel are among the top reasons why the mayor has been criticized.
The city is spending a reported $260,000 to:
- create a lunchroom;
- move city manager Penny Ballem’s office to the empty sixth floor; and
- expand Robertson’s office.
Robertson has travelled extensively as mayor to places such as Silicon Valley, New York and Portland. He and staff are now in China on a business trip. It’s costing the city $120,000 – $45,000 directly and $75,000 through the Vancouver Economic Development Commission.