Maple Ridge residents voice affordability concerns with budget

Many Maple Ridge residents do not agree with the city’s proposed tax hike for this year, according to the results of a recent public engagement survey. 

Nearly half of the 174 respondents of the city-led survey, held between February and March, said they are not in support of the draft budget, which is expected to raise property taxes by 6.5 per cent this year while addressing public safety and housing needs. 

A large segment of residents who disapprove of the budget — 31 of 75 comments — cited affordability as their main cause of concern, city staff wrote in a report to council at a Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday. 

Other respondents expressed a desire for transportation improvements, specifically, and more public safety supports within the downtown core. 

Maple Ridge council voted 5-1 at a special meeting on Feb. 13 to approve the tax increase. 

Mayor Dan Ruimy said he understands resident’s concerns around affordability, but pushed back on the notion that the city has not done more to address public safety. 

“We’ve allotted 12 new RCMP [officers], 16 new firefighters,” Ruimy said. 

The survey asked residents to share their thoughts on the 2024 draft budget with a single prompt, leading to a mixed bag of results. 

There were 17 respondents who backed the budget and 69 general comments, a majority of which called on the city to increase funds for arts and culture programs at the Arts Centre Theatre (ACT). 

The push for arts and culture funding came after the ACT called on the public to use the platform to raise awareness about adding more arts-specific programs in Maple Ridge, the report said. 

The results are the second part of a two-step public engagement process. The city held an initial feedback session as the budget was being deliberated, hoping to gauge the public’s feedback on priorities they would like to be addressed in the new plan. 

Although Coun. Sunny Schiller enjoyed the breakdown of the key themes, she asked staff whether they would consider asking different questions to prompt other responses that may help the city gauge responses.

Staff responded that they are evaluating the feedback process. 

Council is expected to finalize the tax rate increase and 2024-2028 financial plan at a meeting on April 9.