City of WL Budget Meeting #2 & 2011 Tax Mil Rates (Updated)

Before a sparsely packed WL Council Chamber of 25 people including the general public, all members of WL Council minus Councillor Natalie Hebert, the City CAO (B. Carruthers), the City's General Manager of Planning and Ops (G. Goodall) and the City Communications Coordinator (K. MacInnis), the 2011 City of WL Budget was re-discussed along with the 2011 Tax Rates Bylaw, which is coming forward for Three Readings on Tuesday

Firstly - kudos to the City having a portable mic available to the public so everyone can hear what each question that is being asked so there can be a fulsome debate among all present at these meetings

Mayor Cook took the lead tonight, unlike on March 10th, where Councillor Barr/City CAO took the lead on questions and asked the City CAO to explain the highlights of the 2011 Budget including the 2011 Capital Plan.  The Budget will be adopted at the April 19th meeting and Council is set to give 3 readings to the 2011 Tax Rates Bylaw, which set property tax rates in order to fund the City's 2011 Budget at the April 19th WL Council meeting

A Q&A Session took place.  Questions include:

* Explanation of the residential tax rate
* Explanation of industrial tax rates and what Council is doing about the title of "Third Highest Industry (Major) Tax Mil Rate in BC)
* New Home Owners Tax Credit ($200) for Northern/Rural BC homeowners
* Ideas to save money in 2011 or 2012 Budget - cut off tax exemption for WL Golf Course

For the record in 2010, Tax Mil Rates as follows -

City of WL was #28 for the residential tax mil rate of $5.33 per $1,000 of assessed value
City of WL was #64 for the business tax mil rate of $11.02 per $1,000 of assessed value with a tax ratio of 2.07 times the residential rate
City of WL was #3 for the industry (major) tax mil rate of $84.14 per $1,000 of assessed value with a tax ratio of 15.79 times the residential tax rate

Quesnel was #66 for the residential tax mil rate of $3.87 per $1,000 of assessed value
Quesnel was #61 for the business tax mil rate of $11.26 per $1,000 of assessed value with a tax ratio of 2.91 times the residential rate
Quesnel was #8 for the industry (major) tax mil rate of $60.00 per $1,000 assessed value with a tax ratio of 15.51 times the residential tax rate

100 Mile House was #52 for the residential tax mil rate of $4.17 per $1,000 asssessed value
100 Mile House was #78 for the business tax mil rate of $9.57 per $1,000 assessed value with a tax ratio of 2.29 times the residential tax rate
100 Mile House was #13 for the industry (major) tax mil rate of $54.15 per $1,000 of assessed value with a tax ratio of 12.98 times the residential tax rate

In 2011 - the tax mil rates (City of Williams Lake), as proposed, are as follows:

Residential - $5.26031 per $1,000 of assessed value
Business - $11.20446 per $1,000 of assessed value or a tax ratio of 2.13 times the residential tax rate
Industry (Major) - $88.42580 per $1,000 of assessed value or a tax ratio of 16.81 times the residential tax rate

Revenue by tax class:

Residential - 38.08%
Industry (Major/Light) - 28.08%
Business - 24.91%
Utilities - 8.81%
Recreation/Non-Profit - 0.12%
Farm - 0.02%

However, if you take the tax classes that provides jobs for Williams Lake, the tax ratio looks like this:

Industry (Major/Light), Business and Utilities - 61.80%
Residential - 38.08%
Rec/Non-Profit - 0.12%
Farm - 0.02%

All in all - a very tame affair for WL's Mayor/Council as they get ready to adopt the 2011 Budget and set to implement the 2011 Tax Rates

Also, on the subject of budgets/taxation:

At tonight's (April 13th) Community Services Committee meeting:

1) New Stampede Grounds Building.  See the Agenda Item here -

I'm deeply disappointed that WL Council doesn't plain get it that we are spending beyond our means.  If WL Council was serious about getting taxation under control, it will postpone this project and the Station House Gallery project and review whether or not these projects are appropriate with stated alternatives.  We need to get spending under control including not doing "pet" projects which I would strongly suggest that this and the Station House Gallery project both are

UPDATE - A Reader has just informed me that the proposed Building for the Stampede Grounds is being built at 100% expense of the WL Stampede Assoc.  They had to approach the City as the Stampede Grounds is on City of WL leased-land and they need permission from the City to proceed with the project

2) Letter from Stefan Hoelzler re: Financial Info for local Recreation Complex.  See his letter here

This letter was immensely pleasing for me to read as Mr. Hoezler questions Mayor Cook and WL Council over admin/staff costs at the CMRC as being $17.00 per user yet CMRC collects $3.07 with taxpayer subsidy of $14.00 per user.  He initiated this request in Feb of 2011 with the letter written to Mayor Cook on March 23rd of this year.  Also City Staff indicated to Mr. Hoelzler, on March 9th of this year, that "certain" information could be withheld, pursuant to Section 17(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act, as follows:

17) The head of a public body (municipal government, etc) may refuse to disclose to an applicant information the disclosure thereof could reasonably be expected to harm the financial/economic interests of a public body or the Government of British Columbia or the ability of that government to manage the economy, including the following information:

b) financial, commercial, scientific or technical information that belongs to a public body or to the Government of British Columbia and that has, or is reasonably likely to have, monetary value

Also at the Committee meeting:

1) Councillor Hebert will be replaced by another Councillor to sit on the Cariboo Lodge Task Force
2) New "Special Events Application Policy" - see here

If anyone in the community has a concern/suggestion about the above items from the Community Services Committee, they should contact Councillor SPS Rathor (Chair - Community Services Committee) and he'd be pleased to hear your concerns or comments as follows:

Email - srathor@williamslake.ca
Ph: (250) - 398-5222
Cell: (250) - 392-0909