By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
Osoyoos taxpayers will see some relief in their tax bills should the town’s elected officials proceed with a trimmed down budget that saw the increase to combined tax and user fees fall from a nearly 40 per cent increase to down to a 24 per cent hike over 2023 figures. A date, time and place for third reading of the budget package will be decided at the Tuesday, Feb. 27 regular open meeting of council.
The percentage taxation increase dropped from an original increase of 13.6 per cent to 11.61 per cent while the increase in utility user fees was reduced a larger percentage from 110.64 per cent to 59.17 per cent.
The new figures come after public outrage pushed council to reconsider its original document which then led to a special open meeting at the Sonora Community Centre on Feb. 15 during which the town councillors deferred, deleted and reallocated items from the originally proposed 2024 budget.
With up to an estimated $11 million in play in that fiscal trimming exercise the reworked budget sees the total combined tax and user fee increase brought down from $1,514.04 to $932.51 which still represents a combined 24 per cent increase, albeit less than the original 39.9 per cent increase.
This means an average single-family residence will see a tax bill of $4,784.96 (last year’s $3,852.45 plus this year’s increase of $932.51). This compares with the earlier amount of $5,366.49 prior to the budget trimming.
These figures include Municipal, Police, General Debt, Fire Protection, Firehall Debt taxation, plus garbage/recycling, sewer and water user fees.
Under the changes made at the Sonora special meeting the increase in water user fee was significantly reduced from $673.84 to $294.62.
The table above summarizes the changes made to the 2024-2028 budget at the February 15, 2024 special open meeting of Osoyoos Council. Town of Osoyoos chart.
Town administration said the budget package is being worked on currently and will be brought back for council deliberation at the next Regular Open meeting of Council or a Special Open meeting with staff seeking direction from council on when and where it would like to deliberate third reading of the Bylaw.
As a result of the budget meeting held on Feb. 15, 2024 there are amendments required to the following bylaws: Sewer Regulation and Fee Bylaw No. 1389, 2023, Water Rates and Regulations Bylaw No. 1388, 2023 and Water District Rates and Regulations Bylaw No. 1357, 2019. Financial Plan No. 1386, 2024 will be required to be amended at third reading. These Bylaws will be included in the Budget document.
