Although budget deliberations are not complete at the Regional District Okanagan Similkameen, it’s starting to become clear that taxes are on the rise for many property owners spanning the region’s different service areas.
At this point in the budget process the 2017 budget is set to increase by $669,000 overall.
Several service areas will begin new services in 2017 that include South Okanagan Transit, $46,700; Loose Bay Campground water project, $5,900; Victim Services for Electoral Areas ‘A’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘E’, and ‘F’, $20,000; Okanagan Regional Library for Keremeos, Area ‘B’, Area ‘G’ for $24,800, among others.
Read more: 2015 taxes rose to pay for RDOS office renovations
Because services are broken down into sub-regional or local service areas, the increase will not affect each area or household the same.
An example from the preliminary budget numbers show that the average homeowner in Penticton owning a house valued at $344,323 will see an increase in their taxes of $3 in 2017 from $76 to $79 While in Area ‘B’ the increase could be as high as $44 for the average home of $199, 537 meaning a jump in taxes of $590 in 2016 to $633 in 2017.
Other increases include:
• Summerland, average house of $390,087, increase of $3, from $76 to $79 in 2017.
• Princeton, average house of $167,809, increase of $1, from $27 to $28 in 2017.
• Keremeos, average house of $195,150, increase of $37, from $307 to $340.
• Okanagan Falls/Kaleden, average house of $343,365, increase of $39, from $657 to $696.
• Naramata, average house of $431,453, increase of $80, from $914 to $993.
• Rural Keremeos, Hedley and Olalla, average house of $176,269, increase of $19, from $377 to $397.
• Rural Princeton, Tulameen, Coalmont and Eastgate, average house of $246,025, increase of $19, from $429 to $448.
One of the big unknowns for this budget yet to be calculated is the exact funding for the environmental conservation fund set to raise $450,000 from residents in the region excluding municipalities in the Similkameen and Osoyoos.
The next budget meeting is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 8.