This past Wednesday - the City of Williams Lake commenced its' 2012 Budget process. As Mayor Cook noted at the meeting, WL Council normally does this process behind closed doors as a lot of what they discuss relates to labour but have chosen this "Open" Budget process. I've uploaded to my server the PowerPoint presentation that City Staff gave to WL Council this past Wednesday and you can find that full presentation for your reading pleasure here (note - I have already reviewed the meeting here, here and here). Please remember the next City of WL Budget Meeting is Jan 31st at 6:00pm in WL Council Chambers
Meanwhile - in the CRD - they've presented their budget, so far, to Electoral Areas 'A' (see here), 'E' (see here), 'F' (see here) and Electoral Area 'G' (see here). The CRD Budget will be presented to the electorate of Area 'H' today at 1:00 pm - Forest Grove Community Hall
(Please remember numbers are preliminary until adoption of the 2012 CRD Final Budget on March 30th). Projected budget increase (inflation & new/improved services) is 2.4% or 1.7% budget increase excluding one time costs or new/improved services.
Reviewing the presentations for Areas 'E' and 'F' - it appears most CRD taxpayers' will get off pretty good this year with steady tax bills from the Cariboo Regional District. I want to say the PowerPoint presentation is much better to read than in 2011 and congratulations to the Cariboo Regional District for changing it to an easier to read format ... :D
Major increases in Electoral Area 'E' include:
* Bylaw Enforcement from $1.95 to $3.82 per $100,000 of assessed value
* WL Rural Fire from $102.17 to $176.23 per $100,000 of assessed value
* WL Rural Fire (Phase 2) from $182.53 to $202.72 per $100,000 of assessed value
Major increases in Electoral Area 'F' include:
* Bylaw Enforcement from $1.95 to $3.82 per $100,000 of assessed value
* Area 'F' Ec Dev from $2.26 to $5.28 per $100,000 of assessed value
* WL Rural Fire from $102.17 to $176.23 per $100,000 of assessed value
* WL Rural Fire (Phase 2) from $182.53 to $202.72 per $100,000 of assessed value
Editor's Note - On WL Rural Fire and WL Rural Fire (Phase 2), I understand that discussions are on-going right now between City of WL/CRD Staff & between CRD Central Cariboo Directors/WL Council on these functions with the intention to ask residents' in CRD Electoral Areas D, E, and F for formal permission to merge all rural fire protection functions into one Master WL Rural Fire Protection Function later on this year
Finally - quite a range of budget targets for Rural BC local governments this year. While you see the CRD, Quesnel, Prince George targeting between 2-4% tax increase (with inflation rated currently at 2.3%), places like Penticton/Kelowna have decided on either a "net-zero" tax increase (Penticton) or very close to zero (Kelowna will see taxes rise by 0.11%). See the story from Kelowna here and Penticton here
Meanwhile - a local Kamloops resident challenges Kamloops residents' to not accept the words of local Mayor Peter Milobar about "pay a little now or a lot later" in regards to property tax hikes - read that letter here
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