West Kelowna’s budget is calling for 3% tax hike

Property owners in West Kelowna can expect a three per cent municipal tax increase next year, according to a provisional 2019 city budget.

The projected increase is slightly higher than the average annual tax hike of 2.6 per cent between 2009 and this year.

If approved as-is by council, the tax hike would see the owner of a typical single-family home valued at $600,000 see their municipal taxes rise $58, from $1,937 to $1,994. But city administrator Jim Zaffino also suggests council consider two other tax scenarios - increases of four and five per cent. The additional revenue from the higher tax hikes, Zaffino suggests, could help West Kelowna address some deficiencies in its roads, parks, and other municipal divisions.

“While other municipalities had years to prepare for major infrastructure upgrades, West Kelowna is turning 11 years old and has a lot of catching up to do,” Zaffino writes in a budget overview to be considered by council on Tuesday.

“It is important to note that the majority of the infrastructure in West Kelowna is older than 1979,” Zaffino writes.

A five per cent tax hike would mean the average homeowner would pay an extra $97 in municipal taxes, and a four per cent boost would result in in $77 in additional taxes.

The city’s total tax haul for next year is estimated at $32 million, with spending on police and fire accounting for $15 million of expenses. After this week’s initial review of the 2019 budget, council will go through the document in greater detail on Jan. 15, with adoption expected by April.