Wake up, smell taxes
Regional district proposes eye-opening increases for those in electoral areas to fund emergency services
Tax hikes proposed by the regional district this year would cost the average Penticton homeowner roughly the price of two cups of coffee, while those in Naramata would suffer a jolt worth more like a three-month supply of java.
The hikes are built into the 2018 budget, which received tentative approval Thursday from directors on the board of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.
Under the plan, the total tax requisition to the seven local governments and eight rural areas that belong to the RDOS would rise about 11 per cent to $17.6 million.
The impact on homeowners ranges from just $2 in Princeton and $4 in Penticton to $121 in Area D (Kaleden/OK Falls) and $187 in Area E (Naramata).
Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit doesn’t plan to chip away at the $86,000 increase to the city, which, based on population, contributes about 40 per cent of the regional district’s total budget, and would see the average homeowner cough up $94 for the RDOS.
“We debated at various levels throughout the process, and the two biggest cost drivers are 911 (system) improvements and also emergency planning, which we saw last year a huge need for,” he said. “That’s, I think, 90 per cent of the increase.” Proposed taxes for the average homeowner in Naramata would rise to $1,222, on the back of an 18 per cent overall requisition increase to $1.7 million. That includes an extra $109,000 for the fire department, much of it to adapt to new provincial training standards facing all such rural squads, plus $85,000 for parks and $30,000 for area administration.
Residents in communities like Kaleden and Okanagan Falls are also facing an 18 per cent overall increase, which would put that area’s requisition at $3.6 million.
The jump is driven by an extra $170,000 for rural projects related to the Skaha Estates sewer extension planning and $216,000 for local fire departments.
“That’s going to be very difficult to explain, especially if school taxes go up and the province charges more for policing and road maintenance,” said Area D Director Tom Siddon. “So I’m still trying to cut my budget.” The RDOS budget is comprised of 150 separate budgets, some specific to neighbourhoods for a localized service like transit, and others to the region as a whole.
Spending on regional services is slated to rise by $252,000 to $5.1 million.
Increases include $140,000 for 911 services and upgrades, bringing it to $923,000, and $50,000 to hire an emergency programming co-ordinator, putting that department’s cost up to $227,000.
The budget for tackling illegal dumping would increase by $23,000 to $31,000, and spending on the South Okanagan transit system would grow by $10,000 to $57,000 to cover increased service.
Those hikes are offset by a planned $14,000 savings on the equipment line of the general government budget, which would fall to $1.2 million, and a $35,000 decrease for work on the now-completed sub-regional growth strategy.
With preliminary approval in place, the budget will now be sent out for public consultation.
The budget is tentatively set to be adopted on Feb. 15.