Taxes could go up by $240

Kamloops council members got their first look Tuesday at the city’s 2025 provisional budget, which projects a 9.67 per cent property tax rate increase — the equivalent of about $241 for the average home.

While adjustments to the budget and tax rate are expected before the financial plan is finalized in March, the city estimated the average home — a residence assessed at $635,473 — could be paying about $2,900 in property taxes next year.

Dustin Rutsatz, the city’s financial planning and procurement manager, told the committee of the whole that the provisional 2025 budget includes about a $5.4 million or 3.7 per cent increase — about $92 annually for the average household — to cover previously approved council initiatives, including $1.2 million to hire more RCMP members.

This also includes contributions to the Community Climate Action Plan Fund, the city’s asset management reserve funding and Build Kamloops.

He said contracted services, including city staff, RCMP and BC Transit, are increasing by $11.4 million, or 7.71 per cent — about $192 in 2025 for the average house.

“We can see that $5.1 million are directly related to contract negotiations that have happened and are in place. This is our biggest one line, salaries and wages across the city,” Rutsatz said.

In a report prepared for council, staff noted the overall increase in policing costs were projected to increase by five per cent for 2025 — but what has resulted is an increase of more than 9 per cent.

“We're essentially [at] $17,000 extra per member that we're getting from the RCMP,” Rutsatz said. “And again, these are costs which they work on their side, they have their labor agreement, and then they tell us what what our costs are going to be.”

He noted the budget includes a $225,000 cost for body-worn cameras for front-line members, and the replacement of equipment including body armour and firearms.

David Hallinan, the city’s corporate services director, said he is “very fearful” about the impact of Surrey transitioning from the RCMP to a municipal police force.

"Many of the cost allocation models are based upon a per-member distribution component. You take the biggest member group out, and those dollars have to go somewhere,” Hallinan said.

“We're not seeing a lot of clarity or transparency in terms of what is truly going to be the financial impact to the city with regard to us having probably up moving into two or three of the largest policing forces of the province once the Surrey component releases.”

Debate over policing costs

Coun. Nancy Bepple noted policing costs are the biggest line item for the average taxpayer — making up more than $700 of a $2,900 property tax bill — and expressed concern that while the costs keep coming from Ottawa, she doesn’t see costs for community programming and supports increase at the same pace.

Coun. Katie Neustaeter questioned the ask to budget for five new police officers next year. She said she valued the RCMP and its work, but noted municipalities are struggling with the impact of “broken” judicial system while being saddled with ever-increasing policing costs without having a say in the matter.

“We pay for it, we have no say in it. We have to do something different. And if the province, and if the federal government doesn't want a rebellion on its hands from municipalities, they're going to have to look at this differently,” she said.

“We have a responsibility to camp out here, make some noise about it and start pushing back in meaningful ways.”

Coun. Bill Sarai agreed policing costs are another form of downloading, but community safety is not something to mess with.

“I will support, whether it's at SILGA [Southern Interior Local Government Association] UBCM [Union of B.C. Municipalities] that the formula is going to change, but I also represent the city, and I think we do need five more members,” Sarai said.

“I think we need to make sure that the members we do have are healthy and we keep them healthy. And when they're overworked, that's when the injuries happen.”

Coun. Stephen Karpuk noted according to the city data, the average home would be paying $2 per day in 2025 for police services — a cost he said he would be willing to pay.

“We're doing community development — public safety is a component of that, and the only thing that we really have control over is through our CSOs, our fire department, our police,” Karpuk said.

While Bepple was opposed, the committee of the whole confirmed it would support the addition of five more RCMP officers in the provisional 2025 budget.

The committee of the whole also voted in favour of including asset management funding, Community Climate Action Plan funding and Build Kamloops funding in next year's budget.

Council members directed city staff to bring back proposals for service areas where cost-saving reductions or revenue-generating opportunities might be made.

Budget meeting ahead

A public budget meeting will be held at Sandman Centre on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Attendees will hear a presentation from city staff about the financial plan and budgeting process, can speak with staff and council and fill out a survey about the budget.

More information about the budget can be found on the City of Kamloops' Let's Talk page.