City of Powell River staff and elected officials gathered in council chambers on January 16 for an open house with taxpayers to review the 2025 to 2029 five-year financial plan.
Those attending were able to speak with the city representatives, hear about budgetary plans and provide input.
Townsite Ratepayers Society president Diana Collicutt, after the meeting, said she can appreciate the position city council is in.
“I know it’s challenging, and everybody wants to do a good job, but ever since the mill has had tax breaks, and now with the mill shut down, there has just been this spending as usual; it has been status quo and the city keeps taxing the residents,” said Collicutt. “We’re going to get to a point where that’s just completely unsustainable if they are talking about a 15.5 per cent tax increase just for the city. We’re really concerned.”
Collicutt said she still feels strongly about not funding the Zunga Bus, at least until BC Transit comes forward with funding for that type of service.
“There are other options for people,” said Collicutt. “The Zunga Bus is only serving one neighbourhood and there is no fairness in that. Expanding to other neighbourhoods is cost prohibitive.”
Collicutt said around 10 per cent or even less would be a more feasible tax increase.
“We are losing our competitiveness if we continue to go into these double-digit tax increases,” added Collicutt. “The city needs to focus on spending reduction and becoming more efficient. We don’t have a solid economic plan.
“Maybe there should be no new positions created at the city going forward. Our government keeps growing.”
Collicutt said the city is getting into some real trouble.
“I would like to see a more reasonable tax increase, a hiring freeze, prioritization of capital projects, and not trying to do everything,” said Collicutt. “Council needs to put the taxpayer first and really think about the impacts, keeping our town as an attractive and affordable place to live.”
Westview resident Rob Bombardir said he has some big concerns about the city’s budget.
“We have to do some serious cutting and I’m hoping that this council, this year, can step up and make those cuts,” said Bombardir. “They had the opportunity to do it last year. They were brought big potential cuts by the chief financial officer and they weren’t able to do it.
“This year, I’m hoping they can step up to the plate and actually do what they need to do. Everybody is not going to like it, but it has to be done.”
Bombardir said the city council initiative to have staff bring back a report on a five per cent tax increase in 2025, and to act on it, would be great. He said, however, that he expects the tax increase will be in double digits.
“It’s going to be dependent on what happens with the mill site,” said Bombardir. “If we stop seeing those funds from the mill site, if we haven’t rectified what is going on in this town before that, our taxes are going to be astronomical.
“Powell River is not affordable anymore and a lot of people are going to feel this. It is not sustainable. Hopefully, council can see the light and understand that they have to do some serious, deep thinking and make the cuts that need to happen.”
Westview resident Sherry Burton said she finds the public engagement process for the city's financial plan schedule (budget survey/open house event) a means for city staff and council to be able to check off the community engagement box.
“Both tools are less than satisfactory and do not properly assess or address taxpayers' anxiety or concerns with regard to the city's finances and chronically high taxation rates,” said Burton. “In general, the budgeting process is a steep learning curve for the average person. It requires tremendous time and energy to attend or watch council meetings and review the constantly evolving information, documentation and reports. Many taxpayers have more pressing priorities than constantly following the city's finances. Those priorities result in less participation in budget surveys or open houses.”
Burton said taxpayers expect council to ensure that property taxation is fair, affordable and in the best interests of the community. She added that the city's finances are council's responsibility, not city staff and not taxpayers.
“I have addressed concerns and issues directly with council and staff,” said Burton. “It has been made clear, by the majority of council, that such feedback and concerns are unwarranted and unwelcomed. At the budget open house, the majority of council did not want to engage with me. My impression is that the majority of council feels high taxation rates are the reality of doing city business and taxpayers shouldn't be complaining.
“If council really wants to know how the community feels about property taxes, they should conduct a poll when tax notices are received in June and taxpayers are reeling from the sticker shock.”
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