File Photo (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

CITY TAX RATE

City of Kamloops budget process kicks off with preliminary tax rate set at about 8.5 per cent

Nov 18, 2024 | 4:19 PM

KAMLOOPS — The City of Kamloops’ budget process is hitting high gear this week, with the preliminary budget being presented to council during a Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday (Nov 19).

The starting taxation figure for city council to work off this year is slightly higher than predicted in last year’s five-year financial plan, which had pegged the number at just over 8 per cent, with the early taxation rate sitting at around 8.5 per cent for the average Kamloops homeowner, according to city staff.

“We actually, last year, had projected that we would be around 8.17 per cent, so we are a little bit higher than where we thought we would be,” said City of Kamloops Director of Corporate Services David Hallinan. “We factored in a whole bunch of things. There are a lot of inflationary factors that are impacting us that are really indirect costs to the city — the cost associated with RCMP, cost associated with transit, along with broader inflationary impacts all feed themselves into how much taxation-based funding we require.”

Included in the proposed tax increase is five additional RCMP officers, as well as accounting for new contracts bargained outside of the city’s control.

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City councillors will get their first look at the budget on Tuesday and then the public will have an opportunity to learn more about the process and ask questions during an open house set for Wednesday.

“We do a public budget meeting where we will do a presentation and talk a little bit about what we are seeing in the budget this year — what are the challenges we are encountering. Most senior staff will be there at the session as well as members of council. That is on Wednesday (Nov. 20) at the Sandman Centre beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Kia Lounge,” added Hallinan.