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NewWestRecord.ca CITY HALL
Debate flares up over 6% tax hike
Council split on city budget plans Theresa McManus
tmcmanus@newwestrecord.ca
SAFE SPACE: 7ven Perks is organizing a rally in Vancouver on March 31 for International Transgender Day of Visibility. PHOTO CHUNG CHOW
Teen spearheads Trans Day of Visibility rally Theresa McManus
tmcmanus@newwestrecord.ca
A New West teen wants to provide a safe space where folks can celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility. 7ven Perks, who identifies
as gender fluid, is organizing a March 31 rally in support of Trans Day of Visibility, a day that aims to celebrate transgender people and raise awareness about the discrimination they face on a daily basis. The rally is being held at 3:30 p.m. at Grandview Park
in Vancouver. “Recently, I’ve gotten a lot more into the queer community, and I just want to have a safe space for trans people and queer people to just go and sort of celebrate our existence,” said 7ven, who uses it/ its pronouns. “But also, just to
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show that we’re here.” According to Statistics Canada, one in 300 people in Canada aged 15 and older are transgender or non-binary. Of the 100,815 individuals who were transgender or non-binary as of May 2021 data, Continued on page 5
Emotions flared at city hall on Monday night when council considered the City of New Westminster’s 2023-to-2027 financial plan. In a 5-2 vote, council instructed staff to convert the draft five-year financial plan into a bylaw that reflects a 6.4 per cent tax hike for 2023 and a $173.2-million capital budget. Mayor Patrick Johnstone and Couns. Ruby Campbell, Tasha Henderson, Jaimie McEvoy and Nadine Nakagawa supported the staff recommendation, while Couns. Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas opposed. Looking ahead, finance director Harji Varn said staff anticipate that taxpayers will be facing property tax increases in the range of four to five per cent a year in 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027. Coun. Ruby Campbell said the draft budget includes items that are important to the community — such as the new aquatic centre, Continued on page 3
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