By Don Urquhart
The proverbial rubber has hit the road with an ungodly squeal as Osoyoos residents struggle to wrap their heads around the nearly 40 per cent jump in property taxes and user fees.
Despite months of council discussions, public feedback opportunities and reports in this newspaper and social media, the hard, cold reality of the Osoyoos tax hikes only seems to have begun to sink in after residents on instalment plans received letters from the town advising them of the increases.
“We pay our taxes once a year, so we didn’t get notified and it wasn’t until we saw posts on social media that we realized our taxes were going up,” said Sandra Gulin, who along with her husband Mario are staging daily protests in front of Osoyoos Town Hall.
“I think it seems to have gone over everybody’s head,” said Sandra. She adds that she went to town hall to see exactly what her taxes were going to be, but couldn’t get a firm number because the province still needs to update municipalities on things like education taxes etc.
“What’s a shocker,” she says pointing to the tax breakdown from the town she’s clutching, “is that the water that was $459 has gone up to $1,133 that’s a 146 per cent increase! So that’s a really big sting to the pocketbook,” she adds.
Mario Gulin chimes in saying: “I think this should have been a referendum if you’re going to hike up taxes that much. It’s just ridiculous – 39 per cent in one shot.”
She raises a concern that is increasingly being spoken about, that of fixed income seniors who she says, “are going to have a really hard time.” And there is likely a significant number that may not fully understand what is taking place, they add.
Mario notes that his mother lives in Osoyoos and is on the monthly installment plan for taxes. “She came to our house last night, she can’t sleep she’s so worried about this. So we’re doing this on her behalf as well,” he says.
The recently retired military couple moved to Osoyoos just about a year and a half ago, happily settling into their retirement.
“We thought we found paradise when we moved here,” says Sandra. “We’ve got the mountains, we’ve got the lake, people come here for vacation so living here, what a dream”.
But with rising prices all around – gasoline, food and now property taxes, “everything is just compiling and compiling and it’s no longer affordable for us.”
And what is the couple hoping for out of this protest? “I hope they will reconsider and listen to the people of Osoyoos.”
The couple is adamant on one thing: “If it’s a done deal we’re leaving,” they said adding it will be to Alberta where they say it’s substantially cheaper.
