Kamloops taxpayers will get a first look at the provisional budget for 2024 next week.
Corporate Services Director Dave Hallinan says city staff are put the finishing touches on the budget which will be presented at the Nov. 28 Committee of the Whole meeting.
Hallinan says Kamloopsians will able to have their say at a public budget meeting on Nov. 30.
“We’re still working through a couple of assumptions with regard with what we’re going to see forward with that,” Hallinan said. “I think personally its going to be a tough year [based on] what we have seen in the market and seeing some of the other municipalities and the early numbers that we’re starting to see.”
Hallinan told Radio NL he would not speculate how much the 2024 property tax increase in Kamloops could be at this time.
“If I give a number, it’ll probably end up being ‘oh you said earlier this’ so I’m hesitant about providing a number until we finalize going through everything,” Hallinan said.
“We’ve got the last little bit of details coming through and we’ve got a couple of things we’re still following up and finalizing on at this point. Once we’ve got those numbers and we have that certainty then we can have a really good fulsome conversation about it.”
Kamloops taxpayers saw a tax increase of 6.81 per cent this year.
They were faced with a 4.92 per cent property tax increase in 2022 – then the largest in recent history – just one year after a 0.93 per cent increase in 2021 – the lowest property tax increase in about two decades.
“It is important to note that this is the provisional budget. This is not the final budget,” Hallinan said. “Right now, BC Assessment is still working though the impact of growth on the community and how much new taxation is coming from the new houses that are being created.”
“I’m not going to start with a number at this point in time or take away the information going to council until we’ve got everything locked down.”
While there is still time for the overall property tax hit to be whittled down, City Council will have to make a decision on utility rates during their meeting today, Nov. 21. They’ll have to adopt the 2024 Utility Rates Bylaw – which sets the rates for water, sewer, and solid waste – by the end of this year.
At issue Tuesday is whether to hit water users with a 25 per cent increase next year, or ease it back to 18 per cent, but then see rates throughout the coming five years increase overall, and/or put-off a much-needed water line upgrade in Westsyde.
Councillor Dale Bass told Radio NL she is not sure how the debate will unfold.
“I’m really curious to see how this discussion goes,” Bass said. “I know that a couple of my colleagues really weren’t happy with the 25-per cent.”
“If we go from 25 per cent to 18 per cent, that’s only seven per cent. That is not enough to make a big difference on people who could very well be struggling. If they’re going to struggle at 25 per cent, likely are they’re going to struggle at 18 per cent as well.”
Estimates from City staff show that water rates are poised to increase about $250 to $300 over the five year period from 2024 to 2028.
“Trying to explain the reality which is that the city also has seen the costs go up as well really doesn’t fly for most people,” Bass added, noting a number of residents have been complaining about the initial 25 per cent increase, which was walked back earlier this month.
“This again goes back to the fact that a lot of people don’t understand how the city is maintained.”
Following the Nov. 30 public budget meeting, Hallinan says there will be an overview of supplemental budget items in the new year, which will be followed by a second public meeting likely in February. He says City Council will then meet to review and discuss the input and feedback gathered before deciding on the final property tax increase in the spring.
The City has to have its entire budget finalized by the middle of May, with property taxes typically due in early July.
For more on the City of Kamloops’ budget process, go here.
– With files from Paul James
