性视界传媒 Mayor Doug McCallum says the city is 鈥渉olding the line鈥� on property taxes with a proposed increase of 2.9 per cent, but one city councillor says it鈥檚 just the 鈥渢ip of the iceberg,鈥� warning some taxpayers might be hit with a 15-per-cent tax hike.

Hot on the heels of a City of 性视界传媒 press release issued Monday heralding a general property tax of 2.9 per cent in the city鈥檚 proposed budget for 2021, Linda Annis says some 性视界传媒 homeowners could be looking at having to pay between 12-to-15 per cent more in 2021.

鈥淚t has been Council鈥檚 approach to manage our public dollars prudently and it is a testament to the economic strength of 性视界传媒 that we have been able to bring in a fully balanced budget that holds the line on property taxes,鈥� McCallum stated in the press release. 鈥淭he rate set in the 2019 and 2020 budgets was 2.9 per cent and is, once again, the rate proposed for the 2021 budget.鈥�

性视界传媒 Mayor Doug McCallum. (Photo: Amy Reid)

During a mayoral candidates鈥� meeting at Whalley鈥檚 Civic Hotel on Sept. 26, 2018, McCallum said 鈥渨e would hold any increases, if we need them, that we would hold any increases to the . That will be the maximum that we would go to, if we have to go to.鈥�

The CPI for October is expected to be released on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

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Annis is less cheerful about it.

鈥淭here鈥檚 also a line item many of us don鈥檛 pay attention to, and it鈥檚 called the parcel tax. Everybody is assessed at the same amount 鈥� for the previous two years we鈥檝e all paid $100 and it doesn鈥檛 matter if you鈥檙e living in a $4-million house or a $400,000 condo,鈥� the councillor told the Now-Leader on Monday.

鈥淲hat the new budget is proposing is that we will have an increase from $100 to $300. If you look at an average house price in 性视界传媒 鈥� I think it鈥檚 roughly $1.1 million 鈥� that would mean at the end of the day you鈥檙e really getting a 12 per cent tax increase this year, and that鈥檚 from the taxes that the city is collecting for use in the city.鈥�

性视界传媒 Councillor Linda Annis. (Photo: Amy Reid)

Annis said the 鈥渦nfortunate part鈥� is that it will disproportionately hit people who are entering the housing market.

鈥淔or example, if you own a $700,000 place it鈥檚 going to be more like a 15 per cent tax increase,鈥� Annis said. 鈥淚鈥檓 very concerned about it. I mean, I鈥檓 concerned to see those kinds of tax increases at any point in time but when we鈥檙e all struggling financially and concerned about keeping our jobs and how long is this pandemic going to go on for, it just doesn鈥檛 seem like a good use of taxpayers鈥� money.鈥�

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The City of 性视界传媒鈥檚 press release indicates the Capital Parcel Tax increase proposed in the budget will be $200 and the levy will held fund 16 projects that include the Newton community centre and land acquisition, Sunnyside Reservoir Pickleball and Bike Park, phase one of a city centre sports complex, new park washrooms, Bear Creek Park Athletics Centre, Biodiversity Preserve Park improvements, South 性视界传媒 Athletic Park Track Replacement and new artificial turf field, trail and path development, Crescent Park Studio/building renovation, Newton turf and washroom/changeroom, outdoor volleyball courts, artificial turf field replacements at five locations, new park shelters, Indigenous carving centres, a Newton Athletic Park walking track, and Cloverdale Sport & Ice Complex with two sheets of ice budgeted for 2022/23.

鈥淎ll of the following projects are budgeted to ensure work can get underway next year,鈥� the city鈥檚 press release states.

It also notes that the operating budget for police related services 鈥� including the 性视界传媒 Police Service 鈥� was forecast at $189.6 million in the last budget and city staff have 鈥渞ecalculated鈥� that for 2021 at $184.1 million, 鈥渁 decrease of $5.5 million from the projection in the previous budget cycle.鈥�

Members of the public can speak their piece on the proposed budget at the Monday, Nov. 30 finance committee meeting that鈥檚 set to begin at 2 p.m.

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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