Nanaimo holding eTown Hall on budget

Nanaimo residents are being encouraged to take part in a Monday budget meeting that will accept online questions.

The eTown Hall meeting is scheduled to run from 7 to 8 p.m. but will run for another 30 minutes if necessary.

Residents can submit questions:

• Online at nanaimo.ca/goto/etownhall, through Twitter using the hashtag #NanaimoTH or via the event page on facebook.com/CityofNanaimo.

• In person at the meeting

• By calling Nanaimo at 250-754-4251 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday

Citizens are encouraged to look over the draft 2019-2023 financial plan available online at https://cnan.ca/2zjIahR before the meeting.

Nanaimo’s draft financial plan calls for a 5.03 per cent increase on next year’s property taxes. The addition of water, sewer and sanitation charges would move the increase up to 5.33 per cent.

Mayor Leonard Krog said he can not predict what the eventual rate will be.

The proposed increase would represent an increase of $149, based on a $464,403 assessed value of an average home in the city.

The numbers being examined at city hall do not include others collected on behalf of the regional district, school district, hospital and regional library.