Residents of Williams Lake are invited to attend a budget information session on March 14.
The city is looking for input on the 2024 budget and will host the information session in the Gibraltar Room at the Cariboo Memorial Complex on March 14 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Taxpayers and residents unable to make the meeting can provide feedback through the city’s online submissions portal at https://www.williamslake.ca/255/Developing-2024-Budget or send an email to corporateservices@williamslake.ca or stop by city hall to pick up a budget feedback form.
Mayor and council, along with city staff, will be in attendance to give an overview of department budgets, answer questions and receive feedback.
Each city department will present their budgets and be available to answer questions.
Preliminary budget planning includes a three per cent tax rate increase, which combined with an overall valuation change, would provide the city with an estimated six per cent increase in tax revenues.
This will result in an average of $108 per household per year increase in property taxes for residents who own their homes. A water parcel tax increase of $84 per year for all properties and increase in water service fees of $37 per household for residential properties are also in the current budget.
The city is facing large infrastructure costs with the planned construction of a new water treatment plant for the city to treat high levels of manganese in the city’s drinking water. The project is estimated at nearly $25 million, of which the city will need to come up with an estimated $6.5 million.
Property tax collected by the city includes funds for services provided by the Cariboo Regional District, school district, BC Assessment and the Municipal Finance Authority.
READ MORE: City of Williams Lake eyes budget as revenues set to drop
At a recent meeting, Mayor Surinderpal Rathor said the water rates had not been raised in 16 years.
Approximately $6.4 million in water projects would be deferred until after the water treatment plant is built in the current budget, even with the rate increase.
The consultation will be an opportunity for taxpayers to provide input before the annual property tax bylaw is adopted in May.
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