Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Council’s budget redo fixes shortfall but offers little tax relief

Apr 22, 2020 | 5:41 AM

KAMLOOPS — KAMLOOPS RESIDENTS won’t be getting the big tax cut many had likely been hoping for but, all things considered, City council has taken a balanced approach to a very difficult situation. The only problem is that it didn’t go quite far enough.

The option of a zero-per-cent budget increase, for example, didn’t even get a sniff as council dealt with the fallout from COVID-19 Tuesday. Not even a mention.

Never before has a Kamloops council faced having to trim the cloth to fit the purse; usually, municipal budgets are about how much to increase spending, not reduce it.

A report from staff on Tuesday proposed a mixed-bag approach to the budget dilemma and that’s what council agreed to.

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The previously expected 2.97-per-cent tax hike will drop roughly a half a per cent, saving taxpayers a handful of dollars.

Council chose a conservative path, avoiding further layoffs and keeping most major projects. For example, they plunged ahead with a big roof job at the Tournament Capital Centre but shelved several smaller “wish list” items such as increased transit service and a new track at the TCC.

There will be no deep service cuts. Making up the expected shortfall from COVID-19 was the focus; making cuts aimed at helping taxpayers wasn’t. Punted to next week is the question of the property tax deadline and whether struggling families will get some help via a delay in the deadline or on late payment.

Council and senior administration could still demonstrate leadership by temporarily cutting their own paycheques by 10 or 20 per cent, but none of them is clamoring to do that.

Council’s approach amounts to staying the course as much as possible, rather than any bold and creative moves.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and newspaper editor. He writes five commentaries a week for CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.