It’s official: Kamloops taxpayers will see the lowest property tax increase this year in about two decades.

Council has set the increase to 0.93 per cent, which will mean $20.72 extra in property taxes for a home with the average assessed value of $469,000.

Mayor Ken Christian says COVID-19 Safe Restart relief funding from higher levels of government has helped offset some of the operating costs this year.

“Under one per cent is really unprecedented. Council made a conscious decision to use some of the COVID relief funding to offset some of the costs. And we had, certainly, increased costs. Just like every other business did. But also, we had reduced revenues. Things like our transit fares and our parking and our rentals were down. So as a result we were in a deficit position, and we chose to use some of that money directly to offset that. So that taxpayers in this city could have a bit of a break.”

Christian expects the tax increase will be back to two- or two-and-a-half per cent next year.

“But for this year, while people are struggling to meet some of the financial crisis that are part and parcel of this pandemic, this gives them a bit of short-term relief anyways.”

The budget increase was projected to be 0.28 per cent before 13 additional budget items were approved. Those include planning to renovate the Kamloops RCMP Battle Street detachment, approving two new positions at Kamloops Fire Rescue, hiring a police financial clerk and crime analyst, hiring an archaeologist in-house, upgrading pedestrian crossing and improving boat launches.

Last year, council had directed staff to find ways to keep the tax increase close to zero, as a form of belt-tightening while economic hardship from the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Tax notices will be mailed out in the middle of May.