File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today / Adam Donnelly)

By James Peters

2024 Budget

First look at 2024 City of Kamloops budget shows property tax hike in the 10-11 per cent range

Nov 24, 2023 | 11:17 AM

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops council will get its first look at a provisional budget for 2024 next week — and it includes an eye-popping property tax hike.

At its Committee of the Whole meeting next Tuesday (Nov. 28), staff will recommend a 9.82 per cent tax increase in next year’s budget — but that balloons to 10.81 per cent if council makes a significant contribution to its Build Kamloops fund.

The report by Corporate Services Director David Hallinan shows an additional $10.2 million required for wage and benefit increases to contracted staff such as firefighters, RCMP officers and city employees represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). That alone represents a 7.61 per cent tax increase.

Another increase of 1.9 per cent is required to fund previously approved council decisions, such as hiring more RCMP officers and boosting the city’s infrastructure reserve funds.

Hallinan is giving council an option of contributing $1.35 million to the Build Kamloops fund, which would build amenities for city residents. That contribution would add a further 1 per cent tax increase.

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The provisional budget is presented before staff make their supplemental requests, which may require additional funds from taxation.

The full report to the committee can be found here.