Oliver’s share of taxes going to the regional district will increase 8.27 per cent for 2024.
Oliver residents will pay around $1.8 million in taxes in 2024 that will go to the Regional District of the Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS). This is up 8.27 per cent after non-market growth is taken into consideration, the net increase is 6.83 per cent. The actual dollar value increase from 2023 is $141,756.
Jim Zaffino, chief administrative officer for the RDOS, presented its budget to Oliver town council on Feburary 20, two days before it passed second reading at the RDOS Board of Directors meeting. The budget still has to be officially approved and finalized by March 31 and could see minor changes.
Zaffino previously served as the chief financial officer for the RDOS and committed to finishing the 2024 budget despite no longer being in that position.
Oliver’s average assessments (including non-market growth) increased by 5.07 per cent with the average in the RDOS being 0.94 per cent. Zaffino explained that this could be the result of a correction in how the calculations are done, or it could be because of non-market growth.
To clarify non-market growth, Zaffino explained that it “is where you had a house or an empty yard, and we taxed on that empty yard . . . and now you have a house on it next year. Now you are taxing the house and the empty yard.” This results in there being a larger assessment.
Oliver’s non-market growth was 1.44 per cent, which is actually lower than the RDOS average of 1.49 per cent.
When it comes to the services Oliver is paying for, there are certain services that all properties in the RDOS have to contribute to. These are services such as heritage conservation, regional recreation, 911 emergency call system, emergency planning and general government, among others.
These services, including solid waste management, nuisance control, and others equal $331,466 Oliver residents will have to pay.
Other services residents only pay for by use. Oliver participates in services such as the arena, pool, recreation hall, parks, recreation programs, refuse disposal, Frank Venables Auditorium, Venables theatre service, and economic development. The total amount of taxes for these are $1,451,563.
Some fees for services went down, such as the cost of recreation programs. These decreased by $38,147 due to the town taking over Oliver Parks and Recreation.
Some of the capital projects that are included in the budget are $120,599 for the Oliver Community Pool roof and interior and washroom accessibility upgrades. Included is also $327,059 in renovations for the Recreational Hall, including a 300,000 kitchen renovation.
There are also projects carried over from 2023, such as the Lions Park Washroom retrofit for $340,614 and the Kinsmen Park playground equipment replacement at a cost of $150,000.
