Thursday, February 18, 2021

#CaribooRD 2021 budget available for review & comment

Courtesy of the Cariboo Regional District:

The Cariboo Regional District’s (CRD) 2021 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.

For 2021, the CRD’s budget is increasing from $50.1 million to $54.3 million, which is an 8.5% increase. In terms of taxation, the CRD is proposing collecting 4.1% more taxes than 2020.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the CRD’s spending and revenues, but the CRD Board of Directors is committed to sensible taxation that finds a middle ground between affordability for taxpayers and ensuring the Regional District has the funds it needs to deliver the services our residents and businesses depend on,” notes CRD Chair Margo Wagner. “We think this budget strikes that balance.”

The majority of the CRD’s services are seeing no tax increase or a minimal tax increase to account for inflation. Services seeing notable tax increases in 2021 include:

  • Airport Services (35.4% to pay for runway replacement and increase capital reserves)
  • Contribution Services (9.4% increase for economic development)
  • Protective Services (7.9% for equipment replacement and additional staffing)

Details of the tax increases in each of these services are included in the budget information on the CRD website.

Residents and property owners in the CRD are invited to review the budget documents and provide feedback by March 3, 2021. The Board will consider all feedback prior to the budget’s final adoption on March 31, 2021.

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

Paper copies of the budget documents for those unable to access the digital versions can be requested by calling CRD Communications at 250-392-3351 or emailing communications@cariboord.ca.

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