A 7.31 property tax increase has a West Kelowna councillor urging more user pay options for city services.
Council gave second and third readings to the increase at its Feb. 25 meeting. Coun. Garrett Millsap noted that many public responses during budget consultations favoured maintaining or reducing services to limit tax increases.
He asked his colleagues to consider bringing in future revenue through user pay services and running the city like a business.
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Coun. Tasha Da Silva countered that the city is not a business, but a service.
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During initial budget discussions in December, the property tax increase came at 8.35 per cent. It dropped to 7.43 in January and finally 7.31 Tuesday night.
Coun. Rick de Jong pointed out nobody is happy with tax increases. 香蕉视频直播淭he reality is, when you go back and look through the budget, I couldn香蕉视频直播檛 find another area to cut without sacrificing services,香蕉视频直播� he said.
There was concern over the possible impacts that U.S. tariffs might have on the budget. Coun. Jason Friesen asked staff about contingency plans for the city香蕉视频直播檚 larger expenditures if the tariffs are imposed.
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Last year香蕉视频直播檚 property tax increase was 6.85 per cent.
