Budget Consultation 2021

With the adoption of the Tax Rate Bylaw on May 4, 2021, Council finalized the process for setting the 2021 budget and property tax rate and approved the lowest budgeted tax increase in over a decade. After factoring in growth, the property tax increase within the budget as a whole is 0.93%. This is approximately $20.72 in additional charges for the average residential household. Taxes on an average residential home in Kamloops (currently valued at $497,000) will be around $3,570 before the application of Home Owner Grants, which residents can now apply for directly through the provincial government.

Keeping the tax rate as low as possible was a key consideration for Council as the community continues to be economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the help of grants and COVID-19 relief funding from other levels of government, Council was able to achieve this goal while still proceeding with the vast majority of planned and proposed projects and without reducing service levels. For more detailed information, read the full press release here.

On Tuesday February 9th, City Council met as the Committee of the Whole (COTW) and reviewed all the supplemental budget items along with the Let's Talk forum comments and poll results. Council approved 13 of the 15 business cases for inclusion in the 2021 Budget and plan. COTW did not approve development of a new Protective Services training facility but encouraged staff to continue pursuing an improved development plan for future years. They also held off on changes to the 911 levy for landlines, pending further information. While they did approve the full pedestrian crossing project, they made some changes to the funding model to draw less funding from taxation. With the approved supplemental business cases, the increased property tax requirement in 2021 will be 0.93% which equals approximately $20.72 in additional charges for the average household. This tax increase is the lowest that residents of Kamloops have seen in more than a decade.

The recommendations from the COTW meeting will receive final Council approval in March and the final tax rate for the City will be determined in April once the final property assessment information is received from the BC Assessment Authority.

At 10 am on Tuesday, January 12, Council members will meet as the Committee of the Whole to review 15 proposals for projects and initiatives planned to be added to the 2021-2025 five-year plan which would require additional funding approval (Budget Supplementals). Residents will have the opportunity to weigh-in on these proposals before Council makes final decisions on February 9.

These decisions will impact service levels and taxation rates in the coming years. Get involved by listening-in on the meeting or reading-up on the proposals which will be posted to this website once the meeting is over. Then, share your feedback on specific proposals to let us know your thoughts.

At Committee of the Whole on November 24, Kathy Humphrey, the City's Corporate Services Director, provided a report on the 2021 Provisional Budget and Utility Rates. The committee discussed the Provisional Budget and recommended the inclusion of several cost reduction measures to bring the provisional tax rate increase to 0.28% This rate will be adjusted and finalized in the new year after discussion of additional supplemental items. The provisional property tax rate increase would equate to an extra $6 dollars on the annual tax bill for the average household, before supplemental item consideration. The report also recommended a 2.5% increase in sewer rates, which would equate to an extra $11 dollars on the annual tax bill for the average household in 2021. The cost reduction measures that the committee recommended moving forward with include:

• eliminating street light inspections
• reducing temperatures in civic buildings
• reducing the number of hours for public access to City Hall
• reducing the city calendar publication

The committee rejected cost saving options related to the Westsyde Pool and Fitness Centre and the Memorial Arena. The budgets and operations for these two facilities will be set to maintain a consistent service level as previous years. These decisions will be set out in bylaws for Council’s consideration and approval in a future Council meeting. More details on supplemental items will also be brought forward with further opportunities for public input in the New Year.

At the November 17, 2020 meeting of the Committee of the Whole, City of Kamloops Corporate Services Director Kathy Humphrey presented a report on the 2021 Provisional Budget. In August, Council directed Administration to prepare the 2021 Budget and 2021-2025 Five-Year Financial Plan with reduced services across the organization to bring the tax rate to a reduced level for the next several years. The budget documents, including proposed service reductions, are now available for public input. To comment or ask a question about the Provisional Budget, visit the Q&A section of this page. You can also comment on each proposed service reduction by accessing their forum pages here:

• Elimination of Streetlight Inspections
• Temperature Reductions in Civic Buildings
• Reduced Public Access Hours in City Hall
• Reduction in Westsyde Pool and Fitness Centre Service Hours
• Changes in Process for the City Annual Calendar
• Temporary Closure of Memorial Arena

During the August 25, 2020 Council Meeting, Kathy Humphrey, the City's Corporate Services Director, presented a report seeking direction form Council on how to adapt this year's financial planning process in light of projected revenue shortfalls and increased operating costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Council directed Administration to prepare the 2021 Budget and 2021-2025 Five-Year Financial Plan with reduced services across the organization to bring the tax rate to a reduced level for the next several years (specifically 2021). Here is the administrative report and the Council Meeting minutes.