As the B.C. government drags its heels on a provincial referendum question for transportation funding sources, Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts has a good idea of what she would ask.

In a hastily scribbled note during a panel discussion at the Vancouver Board of Trade Thursday, Watts said her preferred question would ask if the public would support reducing the gas tax, capping the three-per-cent property tax to TransLink and spreading the bridge tolls across the region — at under $1 per crossing.

Such a question may never come to pass since the referendum is a provincial initiative. But Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, who was also on the panel, said he would support it in principle if it applied to a regional package of projects, including rapid transit in Vancouver and Surrey.

Regardless of what question is on the ballot, panelists warn the referendum could fail anyway, especially since it is slated to be held during November’s municipal elections.

“It poses a challenge because it puts it in the political arena,” Watts said.

The referendum is expected to gauge public support for new funding sources for transportation projects across the region. Some ideas have included a regional carbon tax, vehicle levy or a road pricing scheme that could include tolling local roads and bridges or charging drivers a fee per distance travelled.

Watts said she’s not sure why the province is going to a referendum, arguing the region’s transportation system should be a collective effort from all three levels of government, and involve a fair and equitable road pricing and land-use policy for the next 20 to 30 years.

TransLink already has revenue sources in place, such as annual property tax, parking tax and fares as well as the fuel tax, although that has been declining. A road pricing scheme would need to be determined but would likely be fairer than “tolling a piece of infrastructure at a high rate.” This could range from tolls on every bridge and tunnel to a fee on the Sea to Sky Highway, she said.

“Everyone uses the infrastructure regardless of where it is in the region.”

The province is responsible for the Port Mann Bridge and Massey Tunnel, while TransLink has control of the Pattullo, Golden Ears and Knight Street bridges. The Cambie, Granville and Burrard bridges are under Vancouver’s charge. The Port Mann and Golden Ears Bridges are both tolled.

“It’s a mishmash of nonsense,” Watts said. “There has to be a master plan that brings together all the plans in a comprehensive way … for infrastructure and sustainable funding for it.”

Watts suggested an online conversation could produce more valuable public input than a referendum, while Robertson warned the situation could pit communities against each other during the election campaign.

He added there’s an urgency to build three rapid transit lines in Surrey as well as connecting the Millennium Line to a new subway line along Broadway to the University of B.C. in Vancouver. He also noted many cities around the world recognize the importance of transportation investment.