We get a lot for our property taxation and utility fees; it’s probably one of the best value-for-dollar propositions going these days. By collectively contributing to our community through our municipal taxes we get to live in a clean, well maintained and planned City; we have police and fire protection; fresh water is delivered to our homes and waste taken away (both liquid and solid); parks, playgrounds, trails and sports amenities are available for all to enjoy, most for free; and, the future resiliency of our community is secured through a proactive approach to economic and social development.
The problem is, property taxes are one of the few we pay annually in a lump sum and the “sticker shock” of our property tax bill (which includes much more than just the City taxes!) for those who haven’t incorporated it into their annual household budget or into their monthly mortgage payments can seem a little steep. However, for most households in Quesnel, the monthly cost of the municipal tax portion of property taxes is much less than most of those households pay for phone and internet services, or for coffee and fast food.
As noted in a previous column, Council has already approved the City’s capital budget for 2021; a $12.4 million investment in the City’s core infrastructure: roads; bridges; sidewalks; trails; water and sewer systems; storm drains; parks and playgrounds; and, City buildings, equipment, and technology.
A late item was added to the capital budget at last week’s Council meeting: a new piece of equipment to enable City crews to more quickly plow and sand our paved trail system. This purchase is in response to direct requests from residents to make this trail safer in the winter, and, because of some good work done by our City’s finance department, it can be incorporated into our comprehensive fleet renewal plan without additional taxation as a result of lower than budgeted interest rates.
Council is now in the final stages of reviewing the City’s operating budget. The provisional budget recommended by the City’s Financial Sustainability and Audit Committee (FSAC) will be presented to Council tonight at a Special Open Council meeting, the proceedings of which will be available to the public on the City’s website tomorrow.
It’s always difficult to get the public engaged in the City’s budget as Council formulates it. In the past, Council has tried a number of ways to get public input to its draft budget, including through special town hall meetings, without much success. In the last few years, our online budget survey has provided valuable feedback on both the general direction of the City’s operations and finances and on some key topics, but this survey takes place prior to the final draft of the budget, it does not garnered direct feedback on the draft budget FSAC recommends to Council.
In this year’s budget survey, respondents indicated they were generally satisfied with the City’s programs, services, and investments and that they support Council’s tax shifting strategy (currently aimed at reducing light industrial taxation to our commercial rate) and would support some additional taxation to maintain or enhance snow removal.
You still have time to review this year’s draft budget and provide comment to Council. The budget document can be accessed here and you can watch the Council deliberations on the draft budget on the City of Quesnel YouTube page when it’s posted tomorrow. We’d love to receive your productive insights before we finalize the budget at next week’s regular Council meeting; you can give us your feedback at www.quesnel.ca/budget/comments
Watch a video from Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson here
Bob Simpson is the Mayor of Quesnel, BC. He can be reached via email here
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