Cariboo RD 2020 Budget available for review

Courtesy of the Cariboo Regional District:

The Cariboo Regional District’s 2020 budget has been drafted and the Board is looking for public input before the final version is adopted. An easy-to-understand summary of the budget has been developed and residents are encouraged to review the summary and provide their feedback.

“Creating a budget is a balancing act. As we review each service, we aim to provide a quality cost-effective service while working to maintain our infrastructure and keep our funding sustainable,” states CRD Chair Margo Wagner.

For 2020, the CRD’s budget is increasing from $48.9 million to $50.1 million, which is a 2.45% increase. In terms of taxation, the CRD is proposing collecting 4.5% more taxes than 2019.
The majority of the CRD’s services are seeing no tax increase or a minimal tax increase to account for inflation. However, there are a few services seeing notable tax increases in 2020. Those services include:

Forest Grove Fire Protection;
Lac La Hache Fire Protection;
Ten Mile Lake Fire Protection;
Central Cariboo Search and Rescue;
Emergency Planning;
McLeese Lake Recreation;
Electoral Area Administration;
General Administration; and
Governance.

Explanations for the tax increases in each of these services are included in the 2020 budget summary on our budget webpage.

“As we plan and finalize our budget, we want to hear from our residents about what they think of our service levels and the value they receive from their taxes,” Wagner adds.

Review the CRD’s budget documents and provide feedback by March 11, 2020. The Board will consider all feedback prior to the budget’s final adoption on March 27, 2020.

To send feedback, email mailbox@cariboord.ca or call the Chief Financial Officer at 250-392-3351.

Visit cariboord.ca/budget for more information:

A summary document of the CRD’s 2020 budget for details on the proposed tax increases and the reasons for them.
A chart outlining the proposed tax rates for each of the CRD’s 125 services.
The 2020 business plans for each service.
A detailed report on the CRD’s draft five-year financial plan (2020-2024).

Paper copies of the budget documents are available for viewing at all three CRD offices and in the CRD Branch Libraries in 100 Mile House, Quesnel and Williams Lake.