91原创 City is looking at a 10.53 per cent tax increase, which includes the increase from Metro Vancouver to pay for the cost overruns of the North Shore Treatment plant, which went from $700 million to $3.86 billion.
The City portion, not including the Metro Vancouver utilities, would be 6.7 per cent, compared to 9.97 per cent last year. Many other municipalities within Metro Vancouver don't include those costs when announcing their budget proposals so their tax increases seem lower but municipalities don't have the option not to pay Metro Vancouver taxes.
The 10.59 per cent, including utilities through Metro Vancouver, is the budget increase for single family dwellings which are 29.5 per cent of City households. Multi-family dwellings would see a 7.99 per cent increase including utilities if City council approves the proposed 2025 budget. Multi-family dwellings account for 70.5 per cent of City households. Some pay the Metro Van fees through their property taxes and some pay them to their strata which then pays Metro Vancouver.
City staff as well as some council members were at the public open house Thursday, Feb. 6 for any members of the public with questions about the budget which will be reviewed and approved at an upcoming council meeting.
The proposed budget increases maintain current service levels to keep up with growth, but must factor in increased costs for City CUPE workers and union firefighters; for RCMP, including federally negotiated wages, new equipment, and inflation; for external agencies such as the Fraser Valley Regional Library and Metro Vancouver; and for City costs for supplies and services.
The per resident cost for RCMP was $23.03 in 2023 but will be $29.40 in 2025, for instance.
In addition to increased fees from Metro Vancouver for the treatment plant as well as increased disposal of waste, the City is bringing in a new more automated garbage pick up system, so single family dwellings will see a 44.3 per cent increase in their garbage fee. That's about $120 per household. Garbage fees apply to single family dwellings. Multi-family households have different garbage arrangements.
Councillor Delaney Mack said she is often asked by residents about large scale projects such as a performing arts centre, but she has little progress to report. The key factor is the price tag. There are other pricey priorities. If the RCMP de-integration proceeds, the City would have to build a detachment that meets RCMP standards, another $60 million. The City is also looking at a firehall upgrade which could cost $10 million and an operations centre for $20 million.
"That would bring us to $112 million with our existing debt. And our debt ceiling is $167.5 million," she explained "So, overall, with a price tag of $70 million for a pool, and $75 million for performing arts and cultural centre, when you consider $72 million infrastructure deficit, we don't have the borrowing capacity to fund."
Right now the City is focused on capital works, such as preparations for SkyTrain, road, sewer and water upgrades, such as the extensive work taking place downtown, and ensuring that infrastructure is ready for increased population, according to the financial plan.
Mack supports that kind of spending. She was in Calgary in 2024 for the Federal of Canadian Municipalities conference when a major water line broke and that city had tight water restrictions for a long time.
But she admits to being concerned about increased staffing in this financial plan.
"Assuming it's approved, City administration has increased per capita per year by 38.31 per cent," she said.
That is higher than the community's rate of growth.
The City expects about $7.5 million in revenues from the Cascades Casino in 2025. The City has used casino proceeds, $91 million since it opened, for capital and not operating expenses. It allows the City to reduce its borrowing and debt servicing. According to the City financial report, taxes would be about 18 per cent higher to pay for debt servicing if the City has not used the casino funds for capital projects and works.
