Dozens at budget meeting

About 30 residents — some curious and others concerned — attended a public meeting on Wednesday night to learn more about the City of Kamloops budget and taxation plans.

Kamloops council got its first look this week at the 2025 provisional budget, which includes a projected 9.67 per cent property tax rate increase — the equivalent of about $241 for the average home assessed at about $635,000.

Residents Al and Gloria Mertens said they attended the city’s budget meeting, held at Sandman Centre, to learn more about taxes and get a better understanding of where their tax dollars are going.

“We like to be informed, and we like to be somewhat active in where we live,” Al said, saying he would have liked to see more members of the public attend.

“It’s nice to be able to follow the presentation and get that explanation,” Gloria added.

“It’s kind of like voting. If you vote, you can take responsibility. If you don’t, you have no right to say anything. So if you don’t come to the meetings, you don’t really have a right to complain.”

The two said they also had questions for City of Kamloops staff about a separate civic-related matter, and knew they could have some face-to-face conversations while at the meeting.

Council members and city staff from several departments were in attendance.

David Hallinan, the city’s corporate services director, presented about budgeting and taxation before attendees circulated throughout the room, speaking with staff and filling out a budget-related survey.

Hallinan said taxation makes up 58 per cent of the city’s revenue base, including taxes collected from residential properties, businesses, and light and major industry.

Increase includes rising policing, transit costs

An early look at taxation indicates a provisional increase of 9.67 per cent. Hallinan said some of this increase is due in part to higher costs for policing. The RCMP will be rolling out body-worn cameras and replacing body armour and firearms, and the city intends to ask for five more members.

BC Transit also has some labour contract changes coming forward. Hallinan said BC Transit is reporting an increase in administrative costs — an increase which is rising at a higher rate than projected transit revenue.

He said in 2025, the city budget is likely to also see impacts from supply chain issues, a skilled labour shortage, political shifts, and ongoing inflation hitting construction and industry goods.

He noted budget numbers are preliminary, and will change before council approves the final financial plan in March 2025.

It’s too early for many municipalities to have published provisional tax numbers, but Hallinan noted the City of Mission is at about a 10.5 per cent increase, and Victoria is sitting at a 12.17 per cent increase.

Hundreds of kilometres of infrastructure to maintain

When it comes to city taxes, Hallinan said the highest amounts are collected for policing, utilities and fire services, then the city’s corporate services division. Corporate services includes receivables, payables, procurement, technology, payroll, insurance, and legislative services.

“It is the business aspect of running the business,” Hallinan said, adding as the municipality continues to grow, these services become more of a requirement.

Hallinan said when it comes to considering costs for the city, it’s important to remember there are 24/7 services, and the city is very geographically dispersed — with 1,220 kilometres of road and 633 kilometres of water main to look after.

By comparison, the City of Nanaimo, which has about the same population size, is responsible for 576 kilometres of road and 95 kilometres of water main.

Hallinan said when residents look at their tax bill, they will see only a portion actually goes to the City of Kamloops for municipal services. As per a provincial directive, the city also collects money for the school district, hospital district and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, so residents don’t need to go to different locations to pay multiple bills.

“The monies that we collect on that tax bill portion come in one hand and go at the other — we simply collect it and write a cheque,” Hallinan said.

Attendees expressed frustration, support

Wayne Priestlay told Castanet Kamloops he came to the meeting out of “anger as a taxpayer,” adding he wasn’t happy about reductions in watering days while water utility rates went up.

He said the taxation increase from year to year is “ridiculous,” and felt the city should institute a two-year wage freeze for its top earners.

Meanwhile, Sherri Morrish said she attended because she wanted to learn more about the budget.

“I’m curious, and I think our city people work really hard so I just wanted to show support,” she said, adding she understands costs are rising for everybody, and she thinks the information presented was reasonable.

“I just like to be able to understand what’s going on.”