Contributions to the cost of government by property owners outside of the city of Penticton do not add up.
After reading a recent letter to the editor it is time to set the facts straight. Pentictonites not only pay to work, shop and recreate in the city; they also pay dearly for the cost of local government.
Property owners in Penticton are subsidizing property owners in other areas that use Penticton’s municipal infrastructure.
A property in Penticton pays almost 70 per cent more on average to municipal government than properties that are taxed outside of the city of Penticton.
For example, a property on West Bench worth $400,000 would pay about $1,920 per year when a property in the city of Penticton that is worth $400,000 would pay $3,260.
Penticton’s city council should immediately begin to take steps to lower the tax burden on Penticton residents and manage the cost of local government through policy changes such as annexations, non-resident user fees, eliminating subsidies to the RDOS and so on.
Wayne Llewellyn
Penticton