With challenging financial problems on the horizon for the city of Williams Lake, council is asking taxpayers where they want to put their money.
A discussion at the Nov. 19 regular city council meeting at city hall heard a few councillors express their concerns over a potential tax rate increase within the preliminary 2025 budget.
This comes as the council works to finalize the preliminary 2025 budget, 2025-29 financial plan and 10-year capital plan.
Coun. Scott Nelson, Coun. Joan Flaspohler, and Coun. Angie Delainey, all expressed concerns over the possible impact of tax rate increases in the city.
"I'm starting to feel alarmed at the numbers and the way that they're escalating down and our costs are escalating up," said Delainey, suggesting the city look at some of their fee-for-service agreements or find other areas where cuts might be made.
The council chose to defer adoption of their current preliminary budget and financial plan in order to offer the community a chance to give input into the budget as the city looks at where or if they need to make cuts.
An evening open house with councillors and staff on site Tuesday, Nov. 26 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. will provide information and a chance to ask questions on the budget and financial plan.
Information will also be available at city hall Nov. 25-29 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Those wanting to provide comments online can also do so at: https://www.williamslake.ca/255/Developing-2025-Budget
Council in attendance, with Sheila Boehm acting as mayor while Mayor Surinderpal Rathor is away, voted to defer voting on the preliminary budget and financial plans and will be going over the budget items line by line at the next committee of the whole meeting after they hear from the community.
The city has drafted a budget which could see taxpayers facing a mill rate increase, which once combined with assessments, may see some property taxes go up nearly 13 per cent.
Staff expressed concerns over continuing to defer more maintenance and upgrades, adding to those which have already been deferred to 2029.
"We're concerned about this this year but we're more concerned about as staff - 2029," said Gary Muraca, chief administrative officer for the city.
"You're talking reservoirs that are 50 years old, you're talking water lines," said Muraca, noting projects deferred until 2029 could be 20 per cent more expensive in 2029 and there could be breakdown expenses prior to this.
The search for further cuts take place under the looming spectre of major costs to the city. These costs include the former Pioneer Complex property reverting to the city and requiring a demolition plan staff estimate could cost upwards of $1 million. The city is applying to the province to be able to write off the $60,888.15 the city currently owes in transfer taxes and penalties as a result of taking over the property.
Another property nearby, Terra Ridge condominiums have been reduced in assessment value (and therefore taxes for the city) due to the historic landslide and resulting damages.
Atlantic Power in Williams Lake may close the local biomass power plant after giving BC Hydro notice to end their current contract, which the company attributed to being financially non-viable. Atlantic Power is the single largest taxpayer in the city, contributing approximately more than $1.7 million to the city in both taxes and utility payments in 2024.
This is all while the city is underway planning the multi-million dollar water treatment plant project, currently in the design phase, a project which the city contracted TRUE Consulting to produce a feasibility study for in 2019 after changes to Health Canada's drinking water guidelines meant the city's water supply exceeded maximum acceptable concentrations for manganese. Cities across Canada had been put on notice eight years before they would need to be addressing manganese levels.
in 2020, TRUE estimated the water plant would cost an estimated $15.5 million, with an estimated $4 million coming from the city if a federal infrastructure grant was obtained. The city council in 2020 deferred the construction of the plant.
Current council has since moved ahead on the treatment plant to address bringing the drinking water up to health guidelines, after receiving a federal grant. The city's contribution will be nearly $6 million towards the water treatment plant, with a now total estimated cost of over $24 million.
With files from Monica Lamb-Yorski
