Williams Lake city council is considering a minimum one per cent tax increase across the board in 2019 to fund additional asphalt recycling.
During a budget discussion at a committee of the whole meeting held Tuesday, Feb. 19, the city’s chief financial officer Vitali Kozubenko reported that BC Assessment values increased higher than expected.
“Council approved estimates based on moderate two to three per cent increase in assessments — completed roll increases came in at 5.1 per cent,” he noted.
Read more: Double-digit increases for some Cariboo property assessments
Coun. Scott Nelson chairs the finance committee and said the one per cent tax increase could result in a six per cent increase for some people if their assessments went up the full five per cent.
“Some houses went up dramatically, some were neutral, some were slightly down, but the biggest taxpayer in the city of Williams Lake is residential,” Nelson said. “When we say we are going to go for a one per cent increase we’re holding the line on taxes, but some people are going to be above and beyond that one per cent.”
The growth in assessment is a good sign, Nelson added.
“Because of the growth that we’ve got we can have less percentage of a tax increase.”
The City is committed to pay its $2.2 million share of the Toop Road intersection improvement project that should be completed in 2019.
Read more: Anticipated completion 2019 for Highway 97 intersection improvements
Nelson suggested the City negotiate with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to pay half of the bill in 2019 and the other half in 2020.
All of council agreed to the suggestion, although Mayor Walt Cobb and Coun. Ivan Bonnell were absent from the meeting.
Council also debated whether to use airport revenues to fund capital projects and Coun. Jason Ryll said any revenues generated at the airport should stay at the airport.
“I think the goal we would like to get at is that in time the airport becomes self-sufficient and somewhat more self-sustaining,” Ryll said.
The other councillors endorsed Ryll’s suggestion.
Scott said the city has an “ambitious” number of capital projects on the go to the tune of $13.2 million.
“Last year we had 64 projects to be completed, 44 new projects are for 2019 and we had 20 carry over out of that,” he said. “Rather than going project by project, I think the key recommendation is that we ask staff to go back and take $1 million out of capital projects as long as they are not tied to grants and that will bring it down another million.”
Chief administrative officer Milo MacDonald responded it will give staff the opportunity to sit down and discuss projects.
“It will be a good opportunity for us to come back with some recommendations on how we achieve that,” MacDonald said.
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