SUMMERLAND REVIEW THE VOICE OF OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1908
VOLUME
67
-
ISSUE
NO.
4
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S U M M E R L A N D,
WWW.SUMMERLANDREVIEW.COM
B.C.
•
T H U R S D AY,
JANUARY
23,
2014
WHAT’S INSIDE:
Olympic action
Budget nears $11M •
20
PA G E S
•
$1.15
Property taxes expected to rise by two per cent
A Summerland athlete will compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia next month.
by John Arendt
Page 15
It will cost nearly $11 million to provide the municipality’s services in 2014. The municipal budget, which will be presented to municipal council on Jan. 27, will require a two per cent tax increase for this year. The final details of the budget have not yet been determined, but the revenues and expenses are similar to previous years. Taxation is expected to bring $7.14 million into municipal coffers this year, an increase from the $6.95 million in the 2013 budget.
Land rally
A rally has been scheduled in support of keeping 80 hectares within the Agricultural Land Reserve.
Page 8
Neighbour support
For the past 12 years, the members of NeighbourLink have provided assistance to people in need.
Page 11
Art achievement
A painting by a Summerland artist has received national recognition.
INCLUDING
GST
The remainder of the municipality’s money will come from grants in lieu of taxes, provincial government grants, sales of services and rentals, licences, permits and fines and other sources. The money received is used for the services provided by the municipality. These include general government, protective services, works, environmental health services, environmental development services, public health and welfare, recreational and cultural services, debt servicing and transfers to reserve funds. The fine details of these expenditures are not yet finalized. See DISCRETIONARY Page 3
Slight gain in farm land base
Page 12
Skiing
Five Summerland skiers were among the regional competitors at Sun Peaks earlier this month.
Plan would add 11 hectares for agricultural use
Page 14
by John Arendt
YOUR SMILE Those who know the least know it the loudest.
Bonnie and Clyde
John Arendt Summerland Review
Joe Stead and Nicole Fofonoff star in Summerland Secondary School’s production of Bonnie and Clyde. The musical will be staged at Centre Stage Theatre Feb. 12 to 15 and Feb. 19 to 22 at 7 p.m. each evening.
A proposed change to Summerland’s Agricultural Land Reserve boundaries would result in a minuscule increase in the community’s farm land base. At present, 2,824 hectares are within the Agricultural Land Reserve in Summerland, out of a total land base of 7,442 hectares. Under the proposed Urban Growth Plan, the amount of land within the Agricultural Land Reserve rises to 2,835 hectares. This 11-hectare
increase works out to an addition of 0.4 per cent of the existing agricultural land base. The figures from the municipality are for the removal of 80.34 hectares from the land reserve, along with the addition of 91.7 hectares. The land proposed for exclusion from the land reserve is 63.34 hectares in the Quinpool Road to Blair Street bluff and 17 hectares in the Barkwill Street and Cooke Avenue area. The land to be included in the land reserve is 75.8 hectares in the Prairie Valley area north of Highway 40 and 15.9 hectares between Highway 40 and McLellan Road. See LAND Page 7