MERRITT HERALD EST. 1905
THURSDAY, August 22, 2024 • www.X.com/merrittherald • www.merrittherald.com
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Mixed feelings on fire services Kenneth Wong
reporter@merrittherald.com
Edison Motors’ deal with Terrace has fallen through. Page 15. Photo/Laísa Condé
CANCER SCREENING
DOUGLAS LAKE CATTLE
Merrittonians will have the chance Douglas Lake Cattle Company to to book their mammography be audited by watchdog. appointments soon. /PAGE 8 /PAGE 11
WILDFIRES can spread rapidly and leave little time to evacuate.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District conducts survey following changes in fire protection services in Electoral Areas “M” and “N.” The survey covered 772 properties, including Lower Nicola, Miller Estates, Coldwater Road, and areas east of Merritt, such as Nicola Ranch and Harmon Estates. Fire protection services in Electoral Areas “M” and “N” have undergone several changes in recent years. Following the unexpected end of the Lower Nicola Indian Band Fire Department contract in June 2022, the Merritt Fire Rescue Department (MFRD) assumed full responsibility for the area, leading to boundary adjustments and some properties losing protection. This shift also resulted in a significant tax increase in 2023, nearly doubling the requisition for properties in the service area. While the tax rate for fire protection remains lower than the regional average, some residents are still dissatisfied with the increased costs and the perceived inadequacy of service. In 2024, the TNRD and the City of Merritt signed a five-year contract that lowered the tax rate to $0.48 per $1,000 of assessment, although concerns persist that the rate is still higher than before the changes in 2022.
With 125 responses, the majority of participants expressed satisfaction with both the service and its costs. Over 80 per cent of respondents rated fire protection as “critical” or “important.” More than 75 per cent of survey participants felt the tax rate of $0.48 per $1,000 of assessment was fair or neutral in value. According to the survey results document posted by the TNRD, “there are 15 fire protection service areas in the TNRD; the average residential rate across all fire protection service areas is $0.85 per $1,000 of assessment.” The document also reveals that the tax rate for TNRD fire protection services in 2024 have reduced by 16 per cent compared to 2023. Fire protection service rates in Electoral Areas M and N in 2024 are $48.28 per $100,000 of assessed value. Of the other 14 fire protection areas within the TNRD, tax rates can range from $40 to $150 per $100,000 of assessed value. Most respondents preferred to maintain the current level of service, with over 80% supporting either keeping things as they are or paying higher taxes for enhanced services, such as a fire hall closer to their homes. However, feedback from Harmon Estates stood out, as the majority of respondents from this community expressed dissatisfaction with both the service and associated costs, in contrast to other
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