(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
March 15, 2016 - 6:00 PM
KAMLOOPS - With council agreeing to keep most supplemental items in the budget, taxpayers can expect to see an increase of about $44 when tax bills come in the mail this summer.
City council debated supplemental budget items today, March 15. While some items involved long debates, few items were not approved.
Council decided to hold off on design ideas for a boat launch at Pioneer Park, which would have cost $50,000. While pickleball courts were approved for Riverside Park, other work planned for the tennis court area of the park was not.
Landscaping and maintenance costs were also debated repeatedly, with Coun. Tina Lange asking for Kamloops's arid climate to be considered more often, though no cuts to proposed budget items were passed.
Projects from the supplemental budget which were approved include storm infrastructure upgrades to the tune of $2.2 million over four years, an emergency generator at $350,000 and $50,00 for to refit a clubhouse for the local rugby team.
The supplemental budget items increased the tax rate by 0.28 per cent. Charts provided by city staff for councillors show the rise of 2.35 per cent as higher than the 10-year average for Kamloops but below the average for other communities in B.C.
With the average house assessed around $350,000, taxpayers can expect to see an average increase of $44.50 on 2016 property tax bills.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Brendan Kergin at bkergin@infonews.ca or call 250-819-6089. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2016