City council should complete its core service review before even thinking about seeking the provincial government's authority to implement a local gas tax to raise money for road rehabilitation, says Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Pat Bell.
"The work that Mayor Shari Green has initiated on the core services review needs to be allowed to work itself through and see what the results are," said Bell Tuesday.
He noted the provincial government went through a similar process when the Liberals were first elected.
"We were able to find significant savings," Bell said.
If council does end up going to Victoria requesting the power to enact a tax on fuel within city limits, Bell said he would want to be sure there is public support before he would back away from opposing the proposal.
"It would be important from my perspective that I would be hearing that from my constituents," Bell said. "If my constituents were saying 'listen, we really want the city to raise a gas tax,' then of course you'd listen to that message but I'd want to hear that from the constituents that I represent."
Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond took a more neutral stance when asked if she had an opinion one way or the other on the issue.
"I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about whether or not a gas tax is an option and I think that from what I understand, council hasn't sorted out whether they support that idea either," Bond said.
Council voted Monday to write a letter to the provincial government asking for details on how to proceed but has not come out either for or against the idea, which has been raised by Coun. Brian Skakun to deal with the city's paving deficit.
