The work ahead
My three priorities.
I am focusing on lower municipal property taxes, a different approach to shelters and neighbourhood safety, and a real voice for residents in City decisions.
Lower property taxes
I will work to reduce property taxes.
I want a real reduction in municipal property taxes, not just smaller increases. In the first budget, I will press for no increase or the lowest increase we can responsibly achieve while we establish the financial risks. For the following budget, I will push for a costed tax reduction that protects core services.
What I will press for
- 01
Ask Council to direct a line-by-line review of services and spending, working with staff and unions on better ways to deliver the core services residents need.
- 02
Seek a clear tax-reduction plan for the following budget, with savings, service consequences, and financial risks set out in public.
- 03
Press for one plain-language five-year picture of taxes, services, reserves, and major risks, so residents can see whether we are making progress.
The numbers behind my priority
I want to ease the property-tax
pressure on households.
Our representative-house bill rose 49.9% from 2020 to 2026. Powell River is near the middle of this group.
Representative-house taxes + fees, before homeowner grant. Not municipal property taxes alone.
11 communities
How we compare.
Lowest first. Same scale.
Reported2030
Plans2038
What if?
Future years are illustrations, not predictions. Revenue plans are not household tax rates. No candidate savings assumed.
Figures, sources & assumptions
2026: actual
| Community | Annual cost | Since 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Terrace | $4,767 | +42.9% |
| Port Alberni | $5,340 | +42.7% |
| Prince Rupert | $5,547 | +34.3% |
| Campbell River | $6,085 | +32.1% |
| Powell River | $6,111 | +49.9% |
| Courtenay | $6,115 | +42.4% |
| Comox | $6,121 | +44.6% |
| Nelson | $6,405 | +32.1% |
| Parksville | $6,450 | +59.8% |
| Sechelt | $7,434 | +55.6% |
| Squamish | $8,130 | +48.0% |
How I chose the comparison
I use the ten communities in Powell River’s November 2024 council-remuneration comparison: Campbell River, Comox, Courtenay, Nelson, Parksville, Port Alberni, Prince Rupert, Sechelt, Squamish and Terrace. That report considers size, coastal proximity and service similarities. It is a useful starting group, not an official property-tax benchmark or a claim that the communities are identical. Read the City’s comparison, pages 31 to 32
Reported years: 2020 to 2026
I use the province’s Schedule 704 total for each year: general municipal taxes, school and regional levies, hospital and other agencies, parcel taxes, and user fees. Dollar amounts are nominal, before the homeowner grant, and not adjusted for inflation. The representative house changes each year. This is not the tax history of one unchanged property, nor a comparison of equal-value houses. Rounding in the provincial tables can produce a one-dollar component difference. BC tax-burden tables, 2020 to 2026
Illustrated years: 2027 to 2038
For 2027 to 2030, I apply the change in each plan’s municipal tax-revenue envelope to that community’s 2026 general municipal tax component. I hold the rest of the 2026 bill flat. Formula: 2026 total + 2026 municipal component × (selected-year tax revenue ÷ 2026 tax revenue − 1).
For 2031 to 2038, I extend each community’s 2026 to 2030 compound annual revenue growth rate. I do not use adopted years after 2030, even where a city has a longer plan. These are conditional comparisons, not official household projections. Freezing fees and other levies may understate costs; ignoring new tax-base growth may overstate the increase paid by existing residents. Rankings are not a measure of efficiency or value for services.
Plan inputs and source limits
Sources checked September 3, 2026. Each link identifies the exact table used. Plans can be amended. The categories are not perfectly identical; Sechelt’s broader revenue category and Port Alberni’s older adopted version are disclosed below.
- Powell River · Bylaw 2794, Schedule A: Property Taxation
Adopted April 2, 2026. Flat taxation, parcel taxes and grants in lieu are separate and excluded.
2026 → 2030 tax-revenue inputs: $26,325,318 · $27,806,310 · $29,469,725 · $31,773,850 · $34,671,831
- Campbell River · Bylaw 4005, Schedule A: Revenue from Property Taxes
Adopted December 11, 2025. Uses only 2026 to 2030, not the later years of this ten-year plan.
2026 → 2030 tax-revenue inputs: $47,516,801 · $49,776,575 · $52,540,331 · $54,144,080 · $56,332,888
- Comox · Bylaw 2061, Schedule A: Municipal Property Taxes
Adopted May 13, 2026. Schedule A includes the infrastructure renewal levy.
2026 → 2030 tax-revenue inputs: $18,234,566 · $20,638,732 · $21,869,308 · $24,451,056 · $26,057,978
- Courtenay · Bylaw 3211, Schedule A: Property Taxation
Adopted February 25, 2026. Frontage and parcel taxes are separate and excluded.
2026 → 2030 tax-revenue inputs: $39,544,200 · $45,365,000 · $52,032,200 · $53,889,800 · $55,668,300
- Nelson · Bylaw 3660, Schedule A: Property Taxes
April 14 adoption agenda copy retains a DRAFT label. Adoption is confirmed in the City's April 2026 Council Highlights.
2026 → 2030 tax-revenue inputs: $15,469,233 · $16,832,162 · $18,042,590 · $19,341,924 · $20,387,628
Adoption confirmation - Parksville · Bylaw 1599.1: General Fund Taxation
May 6 amended plan. General Fund only; the separate regional wastewater levy is not escalated. Adoption confirmed by City's financial-plan page.
2026 → 2030 tax-revenue inputs: $22,998,700 · $24,678,200 · $26,485,000 · $28,413,300 · $30,470,900
Adoption confirmation - Port Alberni · February 9 adopted plan: Property Taxes
Uses the published February 9 adoption document. A later document marked Draft, Bylaw 5138-1 was found but its adoption was not verified, so it is not substituted. This is not a claim to capture every subsequent budget amendment.
2026 → 2030 tax-revenue inputs: $38,277,862 · $40,240,367 · $41,210,818 · $42,788,078 · $44,503,516
- Prince Rupert · Bylaw 3671: Existing Property Taxes plus changes
Adopted April 27, 2026. Each total adds existing taxes, non-market change and tax increase for that year. Grants in lieu are excluded.
2026 → 2030 tax-revenue inputs: $34,018,000 · $34,731,000 · $35,995,000 · $37,888,000 · $39,059,000
- Sechelt · Published plan: General Fund Taxation and Other Levies
Published adopted 2026 to 2030 plan. Uses the General Fund's broader Taxation and Other Levies category as a proxy; sewer parcel taxes and user fees are excluded. Not a pure residential tax-rate forecast.
2026 → 2030 tax-revenue inputs: $16,654,805 · $17,743,595 · $18,875,717 · $20,069,369 · $21,233,243
- Squamish · Bylaw 3213, Schedule A: General Taxation
Public bylaw copy has a blank adoption date; the District confirms adoption January 13, 2026. Uses only 2026 to 2030, not later years of the ten-year plan. Special assessments and grants in lieu are excluded.
2026 → 2030 tax-revenue inputs: $56,680,944 · $63,985,957 · $72,204,776 · $78,247,086 · $83,859,643
Adoption confirmation - Terrace · Bylaw 2335, Schedule B: Taxation
2026 to 2030 financial plan. Grants in lieu and utility frontage taxes/user fees are separate and excluded.
2026 → 2030 tax-revenue inputs: $23,065,091 · $24,534,404 · $26,012,466 · $27,710,280 · $29,369,690
Powell River’s 2026 total contains $3,165 in general municipal tax, $1,241 in parcel taxes and user fees, and $1,705 in other levies. Its 2030 illustrated total is $7,114, not an adopted household bill.
Shelters and neighbourhood safety
I want a different approach to shelters and safety.
I want children, residents, and businesses to feel safe in our commercial core. I also want people using shelters to have safe conditions and help that leads somewhere. I do not support continuing the current approach without change. I want locations, operating standards, and neighbourhood impacts reviewed together.
What I will press for
- 01
Press for a pause on further shelter and supportive-housing expansion while Council, BC Housing, and service providers review safety, operating standards, and locations.
- 02
Seek a new location for Driftwood away from the commercial core, with a funded alternative and continuity of support for the people using it.
- 03
Work with RCMP and bylaw leaders on more visible patrols, and with the regional district, First Nations, and health agencies on a shared response, including treatment and recovery options.
A voice in the decisions
I will make room for your voice.
I want residents to be heard before major decisions, not left trying to piece together what happened afterward. I will be available in person and online, seek input, and explain how it shaped my vote. I will not agree with everyone, but I will listen and explain my judgment.
What I will press for
- 01
Press for clear, timely information and meaningful opportunities for residents to give feedback before major decisions.
- 02
Use clear descriptions when Council closes a meeting, within legal limits, and seek regular release of records when confidentiality is no longer needed.
- 03
Explain my votes and push for a public record of major decisions, including costs, responsibility, target dates, and delays.
My position on the City’s name
I do not support spending on a name change while we are working to reduce property taxes. I will propose putting the question to voters alongside the 2030 election, with the process and costs made public.
Working with others
This is a seven-person job, and it is essential that we work together constructively.
I also want to work with other governments and local organizations on seniors’ care, attracting health professionals, new employment at the former mill site, and better ferry service. Closer to home, I want to build on our parks, recreation, and community events, with more opportunities for young people to take part.
I do not have every answer. I want to hear the ideas and experience people across Powell River can bring to this work.
About me