Funding Gaps

Source Documents for Funding Gaps – With Links

A Good Read? - A Sustainable Fix for Harrison’s Broken Tax Structure

Harrison doesn’t have a tax rate problem, it has a tax base problem.
If the Village keeps adding housing while commercial stagnates, residents will pay more every year.
Here’s the fix that actually works:

1. Rebuild and Expand the Commercial Tax Base

Goal: Increase Class 06 assessed value so businesses can carry a fair share again.

How:

Encourage mixed-use buildings (commercial at street level, residential above).
Protect existing commercial land from being rezoned to residential.
Recruit year-round businesses, not just tourism-season pop-ups.
Incentivize improvements and renovations that boost assessed values.

Why it matters:
Every $1M of new commercial value reduces the pressure on homeowners.

2. Strengthen Year-Round Economic Activity

Harrison lives and dies on tourism. That’s unstable.

Actions:

Support businesses that operate 12 months a year.
Build shoulder-season events and partnerships.
Reduce permitting delays that scare off investors.

Year-round business = year-round tax stability.

3. Stop Residential Creep Onto Commercial Land

Housing replacing storefronts equals a shrinking business sector.

Rules needed:

No rezonings that convert commercial areas into condos or multifamily.
Protect Esplanade, Hot Springs Road, and resort-area parcels as business-first zones.
Require commercial square footage in any new “mixed-use” building.

4. Adopt Long-Term Infrastructure Planning (10–20 Years)

Harrison keeps reacting instead of planning — then residents get hammered with sudden hikes.

Plan should include:

Road repaving schedule with funding reserves.
Water and sewer replacement timeline and costs.
Dike and flood-protection upgrades with realistic budgeting.
Reserve targets for utilities, equipment, and facilities.

Predictable planning = predictable taxes.

5. Freeze Staffing Growth Until the Base Grows

It makes no sense to expand government before expanding the tax base.

Immediate policy:

No new departments, management hires, or “initiatives” until commercial value grows.
Tie staffing levels to actual population and economic activity, not wishful thinking.

6. Build Transparency Into Budgeting

Residents shouldn’t be asked to approve 16% hikes without reports.

Require:

Public release of ALL financial, water, sewer, and asset-management reports before any vote.
Clear justification for every rate increase.
Comparison to other BC municipalities.

People will support what they can see. They won’t support blind increases.

7. Modernize Harrison’s Economic Vision

Right now there is no direction. So the Village drifts.

A modern strategy should:

Strengthen tourism without depending entirely on it.
Add professional services, health services, food, retail, and trades.
Create a proper commercial district identity.
Attract entrepreneurs, not just developers.

Bottom Line

If Harrison wants stable taxes, it needs a bigger and healthier commercial sector, smarter long-term planning, and strict protection of its remaining business lands.

Keep growing housing without growing business and residents will keep paying more, every year.