The average homeowner in Oliver will pay $34 more in regional district taxes this year.
So said RDOS finance manager Sandy Croteau in a presentation to Town council on Monday.
Croteau outlined Oliver’s 2015 tax requisition for regional services, including solid waste management, regional trails, 9-1-1 emergency system, parks and recreation, landfill, heritage and Frank Venables Theatre.
Oliver’s total requisition is $1.09 million this year – an increase of $104,766 from 2014.
Residents will be paying $16,849 more for parks and recreation, $1,808 more for refuse disposal, and $3,598 more for heritage. New this year is the Venables theatre service at $61,481.
Average taxes per household were $326 last year. That will jump to $360 this year.
Croteau said Oliver area assessments are up more than Area C and the RDOS average.
She also said residents will help pay for renovating the regional district office in Penticton (slated to cost $436,000 – $210,000 of which will be funded by reserves).
Croteau noted there is a $100,000 decrease in the prior year’s surplus, which will also impact Oliver taxpayers.
The estimated tax rate this year is $1.36 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Croteau said residents will also pay $5 more this year for the Okanagan Similkameen Regional Hospital District.
Dave Svetlichny, Oliver’s chief financial officer, questioned Croteau about parks and recreation costs “going up substantially.”
She responded by saying that operation spending is up $30,000. But Councillor Jack Bennest said he wasn’t aware that Parks and Recreation is spending $30,000 more this year.
Carol Sheridan, manager of Oliver Parks and Recreation, said there are several capital projects that require a slight increase in tax requisition dollars.
Two major factors in the increase in expenses are the Oliver Sunshine Festival ($10,000) and wages for fitness and Sun Fun programs ($15,000). Sheridan said the increase in expenses for the festival include site improvements, additional marketing and entertainment/activity costs.
“Our department is now offering a considerably higher number of fitness programs than in past years, therefore, the instructor wages have increased as well.”
Sheridan noted they will be hiring an additional Sun Fun leader for eight weeks in 2015, thus the wage increase for that program.
Svetlichny also questioned why regional trails spending has doubled.
Croteau said provincial contributions are down substantially, and there is an increase in the scope of work being done on trails in 2015.
