Property tax rates on council agenda

City council is to set the rates households and businesses will pay for property taxes this year at this Monday’s regular meeting.

Staff is recommending a rate of $7.34 per $1,000 for residential property. That’s down from $7.59 last year, but once the rise in assessed values is taken into account, the bill for the average home will rise by $43.30 to $1,050.30.

The increase reflects a 4.3-percent increase in the city’s total property tax levy after taking into consideration $1.7 million in new construction assessable taxes. The total levy stands at $109.9 million.

If approved, residential property will account for 53.8 per cent of the revenue collected, down slightly from 54.1 last year.

Businesses would pay $17.17, major industry $53.32 and light industry would pay $27.62 with them accounting for 28.67, 2.82 and 13.2 per cent of the levy respectively.

Residential properties account for 67.3 per cent of the city’s total assessed value. Business makes up 26.6, major industry 2.46 and light industry 0.97 per cent. Also on the agenda:

• Council will consider charging $115 per hour for each RCMP officer attending special events to recover the cost of overtime and administration.

• Public hearings will be held for two proposed developments: to build two 40-unit apartment buildings and six row house buildings at 4278-22nd Ave. and to build four 44-unit apartment buildings and seven townhouses at 6605 Southridge Ave.

• Coun. Kyle Sampson will provide a notice of motion to direct staff to draft lists of cityowned property that could be sold either to the current tenant or to someone interested in developing the sites.

He is calling for a list of 10 properties with buildings on them and a list of 10 undeveloped sites.

In the notice, Sampson said it has been noted that the city owns a number of high value properties, as well as a number that require a large amount of financial assistance which is not offset by the revenues of usage or tenancy.

“The sale of these properties can create a net positive impact to our overall budget, as well as increase available property for commercial and residential development and usage,” he said.

Notices of motion are typically dealt with at a subsequent council meeting.

• City council will take in presentations from the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Prince George Air Improvement Roundtable and Coastal GasLink.