WHEREAS in 1996 the University Act, RSBC 1979, c.419 was amended to add the following paragraph: t. 1 to pay to a municipality incorporated by or under an Act a grant in a year not exceeding the lesser of i the amount that would be payable as general municipal taxes in the year on the property of the university within the municipality if the property were not exempt from these taxes; and ii the amount specified by the minister or calculated in the manner specified by the minister. AND WHEREAS British Columbia municipalities are suffering considerable loss of municipal taxation due to amounts levied under section ii above: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of British Columbia Municipalities be requested to appeal to the Province of British Columbia to amend the University Act, RSBC 1979, c. 419 to apply a more equitable method of municipal taxation as follows: To pay to a municipality incorporated by or under an act a grant in a year equal to general municipal taxes in the year on property of the university within the municipality if the property were not exempt from these taxes.
Ministry of Finance The resolution will be reviewed during preparation of the 2009 Provincial Budget in the context of the benefits economic, social and other that accrue to communities in which universities are located and the incremental costs to communities of servicing these facilities.