Unconventionals on taxing bedroom communities for use of Calgary transit

Thousands of people who work in Calgary commute every day from so-called bedroom communities like Airdrie, Cochrane and Okotoks.

Whether by LRT, bus or on our roads, Coun.Brian Pincott joined us on the Eyeopenerlast week to discuss ways of recouping maintenance costs for these and other services.Pincott suggestedmore provincial funding for these services as well as a way of charging outside residents for using them.

So we threw this question at the Eyeopener's Unconventional Panel:Should residents from outlying communities be on the hook for services they get in Calgary?

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"It's expensive to run this city," saidCalgary engineerRavin Moorthy, noting that50 per cent of funding for transit comes from taxpayers.

"We can't afford just to build stations out to the deep south and the deep north that are servicing bedroom communities and not recoup any money for it."

ButMichelle Minke, founder and artistic director of Cowtown Opera, says residents of Okotoks, Cochrane and Airdrie contribute to Calgary's economy already.

"They're contributing to our community and our city in other ways, by using our restaurants and entertainment and paying for our crazy parking fees and things like that already in the city," she said.

Change the taxation

Local businessmanGeorge Brookmandecided to cast the net beyond transit and suggested that the city do away with property taxes and impose a municipal sales tax.

It's an idea that's common in the U.S., where a local option sales tax is implemented for a short time while raising money for a specific project.

That could work for the Green Line LRT, Brookman says.

The reality is all of our cities in Canada are poorly funded," he says."We use property taxes to pay for all this stuff and the reality is we need a municipal sales tax."

"If we had a sales tax and every nickle went to public transit, I think that would be a very good way to fund those things." Brookman added.

Use it, pay for it

Having municipal infrastructure that serves the region raises the question of amalgamated cities, Moorthy says.

"If you talk to people in Toronto, you talk to people in Montreal, some people really hate it," he said. "Some people love it."

In the meantime, Moorthysuggested a park and ride system for users from places likeAirdrie.

"User pay," he said."You use something, you've got to pay for it."

Minke said that wouldn't be fair.

"Ithink it would be different if we wereplanningfor transit out to those communities," she said.

"But we aren't even offering transit out to Okotoks or Airdrie.They're having to drive in anyway so a ticket is a ticket."

So what about a toll road?

"I think people would move," Minke said.

Of course, there's always the option that's been floated by a certain U.S. political candidatefor quite adifferent reason.

"Build a wall, charge people to come through," joked Brookman.