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Doug Routley speaks with students P. 5
Serving Ladysmith, Chemainus and area
Darian Harris makes Team BC
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
P. 11
Chip Nary of Crystalline Vortex Pottery displays some of his work at his Third Avenue studio during the Ladysmith-Chemainus Spring Art Tour Friday, April 25. Nary was one of 12 participants in the three-day self-guided tour organized by the Ladysmith Arts Council. For more photos, please see page 8. ROSS ARMOUR
Council working toward a 4-5% tax increase Lindsay Chung THE CHRONICLE
It’s that time of year again when Town of Ladysmith staff and council have to make some important decisions about taxes, fees, projects and priorities, and council’s financial plan discussions continued April 14 with a look at water and sewer fees. Every year, the Town charges water utility fees, and those are used to fund water operating costs. Staff is recommending that council increase the quarterly water base charge by $1.05 and increase each step by $0.05, effective for the third-quarter billing. As well, staff recommends council include a policy in the
2014-18 Financial Plan to in- Gord Horth. crease the water rates, by byBoth of these increases were law, by $1 to the quarterly base supported by council. charge and increase each step Council also supported increasby $0.03, effective each year on es to the sewer utility fees, while Jan. 1. the sewer parcel tax will see no “It’s not a radical amount, but change and stay at $269 per quarincreasing year after year, we’ll ter. be able to pay for some of these Sewer utility fees will increase projects and put some money by $1 a month to $15, effective aside,” said Erin Anderson, the for the third-quarter utility billing. director of financial services. A policy of increasing the sanitary This increase works out to sewer rate monthly charge, by $0.35 a month extra for 3,400 us- bylaw, by $1, effective each year ers, noted Mayor Rob Hutchins. on Jan. 1, will also be included in Staff is also recommending the 2014-18 financial plan. council increase the water parcel In terms of property taxes, nothtax by $20 per year to $130 per ing is set in stone yet, as council parcel, which works out to $1.75 and staff work to find an increase a month. that everyone can live with. “It is a very reasonable price for When council and staff first a precious resource,” said Coun. started discussing the financial
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plan in late March, they were looking at a property tax increase of about 3.14 per cent, and Anderson says that with some general capital projects moved forward, it’s now around 3.65 per cent. Anderson says the Town’s budget is increasing $265,223 from last year to this year. The Town’s current policy is to shift the tax burden away from major industry (Class 4). Council wants to reduce the share of property tax paid by Class 4 by at least two per cent over the years 2015-18. At the April 14 meeting, council also decided it wants to continue with the current policy of the residential (Class 1) tax increase being no more than five
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per cent after new construction figures and the Class 6 (commercial) increase being no more than half the residential class increase. Council also directed staff to increase the reliance on Class 8 (recreation/non-profit) by the amount of the assessment increase. Councillors said they would be comfortable with a residential tax increase of four per cent but no more than five per cent. “It’s important to note that within this budget, where it stands now, this is not providing new services — it’s just maintaining,” said Horth. The Town’s financial plan must be approved by May 15, and council will make more decisions in the coming weeks.
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