Mayor: It'll cost more to make city great

VANCOUVER, WASH. - Vancouver's mayor said it will take higher taxes, tolls and more technology jobs to lead his city into the future during his state of the city address Tuesday.

On the city's 150th birthday, Mayor Royce Pollard asked all of his citizens to embrace the idea that they have to pay more to make Vancouver great.

He retraced the city's long history - pointing to Vancouver's reliance on the Columbia River - and stressed that the city's future also depends on the waterway. He highlighted the development of the former Boise-Cascade mill site on the waterfront where he said 2,000 jobs will be generated. And he said with the help of the state legislature, the city will open a research center attracting high-tech companies.

Keeping with an international theme, the mayor also highlighted the city's work to fight global warming. He said the city has elevated the importance of sustainability and plans to consider replacing more city vehicles with hybrids, bring all city buildings up to green building standards and plant more trees across the city, among other initiatives.

The mayor said the plan for the future respects the values and the vision of Vancouver's founders and community leaders of the past 150 years. He summed it up by asking citizens to join with him in pursuing the endless possibilities that await "America's Vancouver."