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Kamloops property owners to see whittled down tax hike this year

Paul James
Mar 5, 2024 | 2:54 PM


Kamloops property owners to see whittled down tax hike this year

Banner for KFR's pitch in the Committee of the Whole supplementary budget document/via City of Kamloops

Property taxes in Kamloops this year should now come in under 10 per cent, as council’s Committee of the Whole has shaved down a number of supplementary budget requests.

The big-ticket item which council has kicked back to committee is an over $1-million ask by Kamloops Fire Rescue for a new truck and staff to attend medical calls.

The Committee, including councillor Katie Neustaeter, decided to defer the ask, noting medical calls are the province’s jurisdiction, and that Kamloops taxpayers shouldn’t be funding that.

“We should be responding to medical calls from KFR. But question is, what is the balance? We’re not achieving it right now, because for KFR to be responding 70 per cent of the time to medical concerns before BC Ambulance is, is root of the problem.”

Councillor Mike O’Reilly says the local business community, including both the Kamloops Central and North Shore Business Improvement Associations, Tourism Kamloops as well as the Chamber of Commerce, have expressed an even stronger opinion.

“One of the comments specifically on this for going forward is: Why are we even doing this at all?,” O’Reilly told the Committee, citing recent small scale meetings councillor had with business groups connected to the budget. “Not necessarily adding things on, but do we need to look at just completely not doing it [having KFR attend medical calls] and give notice to the provincial government, saying you’ve got one more year left and that we’ll be providing this medical service or reducing that.”

The only councillor opposed to sending the KFR request back for further committee review was Dale Bass.

“I mean we can sit here an say the province should be paying for it, BC Ambulance should be doing it. If they don’t, who will?” argued Bass. “And what does that mean for the person who is waiting there for someone to come and help them.”

Other smaller-scale supplementary budget items which did make the cut include cash to bolster continued funding agreements, upgrades to the 500 block of Victoria Street, support for drainage upgrades and a review of potential upgrades to the Heritage House parking lot.

Other items which did not make the cut include the building of a sidewalk along Todd Road, the creation of a pedestrian pathway along Rose Hill Road and technical upgrades to the City’s solid waste truck fleet.

Provided Council signs off at its next full meeting, the tax increase for this year should come in at 9.55 per cent.

The City will set its final tax rate in the spring, with property taxes typically due in early July.

“Things are always moving until the final vote is done, and the say is in council’s hand,” the City’s Corporate Services Director David Hallinan told Radio NL last month.

For more on the 2024 City of Kamloops budget, go here.