Tweaked budget slides through with 3.64% tax hike

Even after a handful of additions, Kelowna lawmakers have pushed through a proposed 2022 budget with a 3.64 per cent tax increase.

If approved this spring, the hike will cost the average homeowner about $80 more a year, based on a nearly $900,000 property value.

City leaders were pleased with what was arrived at, citing a need to meet the demand of the ever-increasing growth of Kelowna.

“Investment here has never been stronger. We are the place that people talk about across the country,” Mayor Colin Basran said. “We are really good at providing service, but we do it in a very fiscally responsible way.”

The 2022 increase is well below other communities in the Okanagan, with Vernon signing off on a 6.88 per cent hike, West Kelowna weighing a 4 per cent rise, and Penticton could see an 8.5 per cent hike. Vancouver city leaders settled on 6.35 per cent rise.

The additions approved Thursday include two more RCMP jobs at a total cost of $96,250, one accounting position at $48,300, bike map and wayfinding improvements worth $15,000, and funding for an affordable housing land acquisition strategy worth $75,000.

It pushed the tax hike from 3.49 per cent to 3.64. In the years ahead, the financial ramifications will bump projected tax burdens in 2023 from 4.97 to 5.21 per cent, and from 4.72 to 4.76 in 2024.

Public Safety and Security

Beyond the 15 new positions already in the draft budget for the Kelowna RCMP service, lawmakers opted to fund one disclosure coordinator and one more general duty constable.

The disclosure coordinator costs $40,000 in 2022 and $78,500 in the years following. The position helps relieve the administration burden from officers, who are under growing pressure to meet tightening court-imposed deadlines to get disclosure to prosecutions.

The general duty constable comes with a $56,250 price tag next year and $203,000 per year in subsequent budgets. These roles likely won’t be filled until late 2022 or early 2023.

Other positions funded include two more investigative services members, four cell block sergeants, a civilian crime analyst, and two general duty constables.

Within city hall, the accounting operations job is the first new member of staff for that branch in 20 years.

Lawmakers also baked in an ongoing $75,000 land acquisition reserve for affordable housing. It will increase to $100,000 in 2023 and beyond. This money is earmarked for buying land to encourage affordable housing development. The hope is that by having the money set aside, higher levels of government will match it, speeding project development.

Parks, Culture and Going Green

Elsewhere on the books, money is earmarked for a massive expansion of the active transportation corridor network, new park space and electric vehicle charging stations, as well as wide ranging planning for recreation and cultural centre upgrades.

At least eight active transportation or bike orientated corridor projects are in the works. These include an extension of the Abbott St. route and connections to the Okanagan Rail Trail, alongside planning for several others.

“I see this next year as being a very significant year. There are a lot of missing links that we’ve been trying to connect,” Coun. Luke Stack said. “There are some really, really key connection points here.”

The budget also has $100,000 set aside for four Level 2 EV charging stations. The money will also be used to secure grant dollars and partnerships. Currently, the city has six Level 2 chargers and four Level 1.

There is $2 million set aside for the design of a Parkinson Recreation Centre replacement. The new facility will include an eight lane 25 metre pool and leisure pool, three gymnasiums and a fitness suite. It’s expected a dollar request for the design and construction will come forward in 2023.

Advancing the preliminary design work of the Capital News Centre expansion is also costed in the 2022 budget. The $700,000 will help plan for two new ice sheets and additional sports facilities.

On the cultural front, $320,000 is available for a stage light renewal project at the Kelowna Community Theatre, as well as money for an in-house box office set to go live in June 2022. The box office improvement will eventually repay itself and be a net positive to the budget.

The Island Stage is also eyed for future upgrades. There is $50,000 allocated for a facility assessment to provide details for potential improvements.

“I think beyond the concert events, there is an opportunity to see what other type events could be hosted if we added a little more infrastructure,” Coun. Ryan Donn.

The budget will come back to council in the spring for final approval.