Osoyoos Town Hall (File photo)
Dale Boyd
Osoyoos Times
Osoyoos taxpayers are looking at a three per cent increase in municipal taxes as the Town of Osoyoos seeks input from the public on their draft financial plan.
At a special budget meeting on Jan. 29, held at the Osoyoos Fire Hall, senior staff and council deliberated for several hours resulting in a draft operating budget and five-year capital project plan including a municipal tax increase of 2.98 per cent.
The average single-family home with an assessed value of $445,811 will see payments to the Town of Osoyoos increase by $88.46 per year should the budget be passed.
A large part of council deliberations over the financial plan concerned the budget for the Osoyoos Fire Department. The draft budget proposes a significant investment and renewal of equipment for the fire department in 2020 as well as benefits, training and wages for paid on-call fire-fighters. The department will hire two deputy chiefs over the course of 2020 and continue with improvements outlined in the 2019 Fire Department Master Plan.
“One of the big things that we had to look at is the fire department, and we spend a great deal of time looking at all of the things that are necessary to bring our fire department into compliance with the Fire Department Master Plan,” said Mayor Sue McKortoff. “This year because we’ve hired a fire chief, and he has taken on looking at what are the needs of our fire department to keep us all safe. You realize that nobody has any great interest in the fire department until they have a fire. And as soon as that happens, boy, you change your tune on these things.”
The draft budget also includes a two per cent increase for town staff wages, a two per cent increase to the RCMP budget, a $6.70 per year increase in solid waste and recycling fees, and increased budgets for some municipal services including road and park maintenance.
Read the budget document by clicking here
Upcoming projects for the town include the continuation of the new Official Community Plan, with a total budget of $150,000 and the $50,000 zoning bylaw update. Also included in future projects are community garden improvements at a projected cost of $5,000 and $25,000 to complete planning and design for the future construction of a multi-use pathway link between sẁiẁs Provincial Park and Acacia Court in consultation with the Osoyoos Indian Band and BC Parks.
Other projects eyed for 2020 include a Town Hall feasibility study for $85,000, downtown enhancements, the purchase of litter fencing at the sanitary landfill at a cost of $40,000, a storage area at the operational services yard at a cost of $20,000 and a review of the town’s two major vehicle fleets for operational services and the fire department at a cost of $35,000.
The draft budget also includes the $125,000 implementation plan for universal water metering, which will start the process of metering almost 90 per cent of water users in town at an estimated cost of $3.5 million or more, with the town aiming to fund through grants. Not only will it help the town better monitor water use, McKortoff said, it may be key in securing water-related grants for infrastructure funding.
“We don’t know that. But we’re assuming that, if we don’t follow that plan. I mean, it’s for the protection of our water, and our lake and everything else, and we need to be more conscious of how much water we’re using and what we’re using it for.”
Read more: Osoyoos council seeks more info on $3.5 million water metering project
At a separate sewer and water budget meeting held in December council put forward an increase of 2 per cent for water users in town boundaries, and a 1.71 per cent increase in rates for water users in Rural Water Districts 8 and 9. Sewer fees are set to go up 3.99 per cent. For a single-family residence in town these increases amount to $7.19 for water and $10.22 for sewer services per year.
The next step in the budget process is for council to provide the opportunity for public input on the draft financial plan. Questions and feedback respecting the financial plan can be given in person at the upcoming special budget meeting or by written submission [email protected].
On Tuesday, Feb. 18 council will hold a special open meeting at Town Hall council chambers beginning at 6 p.m. to assist with developing the Town of Osoyoos 2020 Operating Budget and Five Year Capital Plan.
