Lyonel Doherty, Times-Chronicle
Area C director Rick Knodel is going to bat for seniors on fixed incomes at the Union of BC Municipalities convention this fall.
“The rapidly rising (property) assessments and taxations are putting extreme stress on many fixed income seniors in this area,” he said.
Many homeowners’ assessments in Oliver increased by 30 per cent this year.
He noted the current senior’s homeowner grant for this area is $1,045.00.
In order to help mitigate the effect of rapidly increasing property values, Knodel is proposing to raise the grant amount by at least $600 to “soften the blow.”
The director is also suggesting the senior’s low-income supplement trigger be raised from a maximum of $32,000 to a more realistic $50,000.
He said seniors on fixed incomes are still taxed on all income and are just as vulnerable to rising heating, energy, food, insurance, and service costs.
“Seniors are getting kicked badly by these taxes and assessments,” Knodel said, adding that rising assessments affect rural property taxes if the increase is above the average median, which in this area many were this year.
The director wants the province to direct the British Columbia Assessment Authority to conduct a study to determine why the material increases in property assessments occurred.
Other resolutions he would like to see passed at the convention include:
The Surveyor of Taxes review the administration fee that it charges to determine if the 5.25 per cent can be reduced.
Allow each electoral area to set its own tax multiplier, similar to municipal governments
Determine if rural area policing costs are reduced by a portion of traffic fine revenues. If not, change the formula so that rural taxpayers obtain the benefit of the grant.
