Dale Boyd
Osoyoos Times
Municipal property taxes are not increasing in 2020 as originally planned for Osoyoos residents after town council voted in a special meeting not to enact the previously proposed 2.9 per cent tax increase.
Osoyoos town council voted through a revision to the town’s five-year financial plan and tax rates bylaws at a special council meeting held on April 27.
The tax rates bylaw, which included a 2.98 per cent increase to the municipal portion of taxes, was brought forward for council consideration on April 20. Council directed staff that due to the COVID crisis they wanted the municipal portion of taxes to remain consistent with the 2019 amount.
Some projects were removed from the five-year financial plan to allow for the zero per cent increase to the municipal portion of property taxes for 2020 including the Highway 3 to 89th Street design, the spin bike program, a power upgrade to Desert Park Infield and $6,000 worth of Main Street improvements.
The due date for property taxes and town utilities has changed from the original date on July 2 to Sept. 30 for 2020 with a five per cent late payment penalty to be charged on any outstanding current taxes after the due date and a further five per cent applied on the outstanding current balance on Dec. 31. The due date for the rural water bills has been amended to change the due date from June 15 to Aug. 15 for 2020.
Council voted unanimously to pass the revisions at the April 27 meeting.
