Policing a bargain for North Westsiders

The average homeowner in the remote North Westside area pays $42 a year for police protection, a new study has found.

Authors of a comprehensive review of the local taxes paid by North Westsiders, and the services they receive for that money, have released an interim report.

The review was commissioned by the Central Okanagan Regional District after years of gripes from many North Westsiders that they receive little practical benefit from being part of the Kelownabased administrative body.

Consultants say the 2,987 residents in North Westside communities such as Westshore Estates, Killiney Beach, Fintry, and La Casa benefit from 40 services provided by the regional district.

Decisions regarding most of these services, however, are made by the full regional board, a majority of which consists of Kelowna city councillors, study authors acknowledge.

The 55-page interim review, to be presented Thursday to the regional board, does not suggest whether North Westsiders receive good value for their tax dollars, but rather examines the big picture of tax collection and service delivery.

One aspect noted by the review authors is that, as residents of an unincorporated area, North Westsiders pay relatively little for policing compared to those who live in towns and cities.

Seventy per cent of the area’s policing cost is covered by the province, with the federal government paying the rest. In 2007, the province began recovering half of its contribution with a tax on the residents of unincorporated areas.

Last year, the owner of a typical North Westside home assessed at $635,000 paid $42 for the police tax.

Should residents ever decide to incorporate, policing costs would likely rise considerably as municipalities are expected to shoulder most of the RCMP’s operational expenses.