Huge disparities exist between per-capita spending on public services among municipal governments in Metro Vancouver, according to a Fraser Institute report published October 21.
For example, the City of West Vancouver spent more than double per resident than the City of Surrey ($2,118 versus $951) in 2012.
However, simply looking at the amount of government spending per person paints an incomplete picture. Each municipality has a different tax base, and there is a wide variation in the amount of revenue collected per capita through property taxes and other fees.
The City of West Vancouver, in addition to spending more per person, also collects the most per person ($2,548), giving a per capita rate of return of 83%.
However, in terms of the rate of return per person, Port Moody tops the list. The city collects $1,591 per person and returns $1,345, which is 85% of all revenue received.
The average rate for all municipalities is 72%. Burnaby and Coquitlam are at the bottom of the list, with a return rate of 65% each.
“Municipal governments across the region provide important public services, but their tax and spending policies tend not to receive a whole lot of scrutiny,” said Charles Lammam, Fraser Institute associate director of tax and fiscal policy and study co-author
“Our report helps taxpayers and voters better understand the state of their municipality’s finances and how they compare to other municipalities.
“It’s ultimately up to Metro Vancouver residents to decide if they’re getting good value for their municipal tax dollars, but they need comparable information with other municipalities to help make that call.”
