By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle

The Osoyoos 2024 budget has now been approved after it received third reading today by Council resulting in a combined tax, water and sewer hike of about 24 per cent over 2023 but down from the original 39 per per cent proposed last fall.

Surprisingly the vote on Tuesday (Mar. 26) afternoon was far from unanimous with the budget passing by a margin of 3-2. Councillors Myers Bennett and Jim King both voted against its adoption while Councillors Johnny Cheong, Zach Poturica and Mayor Sue McKortoff voted in favour.

The overall increase to an average single-family residence valued at $720,535 for the 2024 tax year will be $76.07 per month or $912.78 annually.

This is broken down as follows:

  • Municipal Taxes $231.69
  • Library Taxes $7.21
  • Police Taxes $14.77
  • Fire Protection Taxes $55.34
  • Garbage/Recycling User Fee $10.57
  • Sewer User Fee $298.58
  • Water User Fee $294.62

This does not include any taxation changes for other taxing authorities outside of council control including:

  • Regional District
  • Hospital
  • School
  • BC Assessment Authority
  • Municipal Finance Authority
  • Sterile Insect Release
  • 911

Overall this will mean that the combined tax bill (not counting any taxation changes from the other authorities) for the average home in Osoyoos will be $4,765.23, up from the $3,852.45 amount in 2023.

The long and winding budget road has seen months of deliberations and then protests by a residents apparently caught off guard by a public process that had been ongoing for some time.

A besieged Town Council then halted the process in the eleventh hour in mid-December 2023 rescinding it and returning the “5 Year Financial Plan Bylaw No. 1386, 2023 (2024-2028)” to third reading.

Council members then feverishly worked to make the budget more palatable for the upset electorate by cutting wherever they felt they could.

In presenting the budget to council for consideration today (Tuesday, March 26) Osoyoos CAO Rod Risling noted that the budget presented and deliberated last September included property tax and utility rate increases that “for the most part” included items aimed at the significant water and sewer infrastructure deficits and to start addressing other deficits in Town assets.

He cautioned over the inherent risks – both in terms of service and costs to taxpayers – associated with a number of the budget cuts.

“It is important to note that the recent reductions will result in increased risks to service delivery and increased future costs to property owners and utility users,” he said.

In presenting the budget package Jim Zakall, Director, Finance/Deputy CAO noted all changes made to the budget document were as per council’s direction.

One exception is an addition added since the March 12, 2024 meeting to add a capital project for an accessibility
trailer with mobi chair. This is a $25,000 project that town administration was successful in obtaining 100 per cent grant funding for.

The budget will now be forwarded to the Inspector of Municipalities for approval which will take a few weeks Zakall noted. The Inspector of Municipalities’ primary role is to provide oversight of key local government financial matters.