2 cent gas tax passed by Metro Vancouver mayors

Metro Vancouver mayors have voted to pass a 2-cent per litre gas tax hike to pay for expanded TransLink services, at a meeting in Burnaby on Friday morning.

The tax is meant to meet the costs of new TransLink services in the region, including the proposed Evergreen Line to the Tri-Cities area.

The vote passed easily with an 81 to 34 majority. Larger cities such as Vancouver and Surrey had a greater share of the votes in the weighted voting system.

The vote followed a public statement last week by the mayors of seven of municipalities in Metro Vancouver representing 70 per cent of the region's population that they would be supporting the tax, despite the looming civic elections in November.

But opposition to the motion was led by Richmond Mayor Macolm Brodie, who said he objected to another part of the motion which opened the door to future property tax increases for Metro Vancouver residents.

Drivers in Metro Vancouver already pay a motor fuel tax of 23.5 cents per litre on top of the B.C. carbon tax, which rose to 5.56 cents per litre in July 2011 and will reach 6.67 cents a litre on July 1, 2012.