Williams Lake milks Heavy Industry?

At last night's Budget Meeting - WL Council was presented two tax scenarios:

a) 0% tax increase with or without a 1% tax shift (likely from Heavy Industry to Residential)
b) 3% tax increase with or without a 1% tax shift (again, likely from Heavy Industry to Residential)

Given the budget deficit is roughly $300,000 and a 1% property tax hike equals roughly $100,000 - it is likely we'll see, at least, a 3% property tax hike, although Council could get this overall property tax hike lower than 3%.

Meanwhile - WL City Staff project - Heavy Industry could, if Council agrees, see their tax mill rate go anywhere from 103.22 per $1,000 (or $10,322 per $100,000 of property assessment) to $106.55 per $1,000 (or $10,655 per $100,000) while residents could see their property taxes go from a range of $554 per $100,000 to $571 per $100,000

Should the Heavy Industry tax mill rate range be approved - that would put Williams Lake as having the absolute worst Heavy Industry taxes in all of BC surpassing places like Prince George, Kamloops and even the Town of Ladysmith (on Vancouver Island) which has a population of 7,921 and their Heavy Industry tax mill rate in 2012 was $104.96 per $1,000 while Quesnel's was $85.93 per $1,000, Prince George's was $57.54 per $1,000 and Kamloops was $86.07 per $1,000

In my opinion - Williams Lake doesn't, like Victoria and Ottawa, have a 'revenue' problem, it has a spending problem and soon needs to get this under control -- otherwise Williams Lake will lose out to capital investments to other places which have more 'positive' business climate like Quesnel, Prince George and Kamloops

-- SBF