The North Cariboo Recreation and Parks five-year financial plan is going forward to the Cariboo Regional District board with a proposed four-per-cent tax increase in each year of the plan.
The North Cariboo Joint Advisory Committee (NCJAC) approved the North Cariboo Recreation and Parks (NCRP) five-year financial plan at its Nov. 10 meeting. The proposed plan, which still requires approval and adoption by the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) board, will see recreation capital reserves increase by approximately $1.55 million over five years.
The committee opted for a four-per-cent tax increase in each year of the five-year plan to minimize the financial impact on residents in the first two years of the plan. The original proposal, presented at the Oct. 10 meeting, would have seen taxes increase by 7.5 per cent in 2021, five per cent in 2022 and 2.5 per cent for the balance of the five-year plan, according to a news release from the City of Quesnel.
The current rate, based upon 2020 property assessments, is $138 per $100,000 of assessed value.
“Although raising taxes is something nobody enjoys, it is essential to re-establish our capital reserves,” Quesnel Coun. Laurey-Anne Roodenburg, co-chair of the NCJAC, said in the release. “We need to plan for the future to ensure we can continue to meet our long-term goals and have funds held in reserve for any unexpected expenses.”
The NCJAC capital reserves are available to help fund major North Cariboo Recreation and Parks (NCRP) capital projects, including unanticipated emergency repairs, replacement and renovation of existing facilities and amenities, and new infrastructure investment, according to the release.
“Balancing taxation rates against funding requirements requires careful analysis,” said CRD Area I (West Fraser-Nazko) director Jim Glassford. “The Joint Committee’s work in this regard has resulted in a financial plan giving us a solid footing to consider new projects and maintain existing services. It also takes into account the financial realities and constraints many residents are currently experiencing.”
The business plan for the NCRP service includes a number of potential significant capital projects over the next five years, including a proposed renovation of the swimming pool at the Quesnel and District Arts and Recreation Centre. Capital reserves for the service are expected to be just under $700,000 at the end of 2020. Increasing capital reserves was considered a priority for the NCJAC light of aging recreation infrastructure and the anticipated recreational needs of the community.
The NCRP function supports a variety of assets in Quesnel and the surrounding area, including the West Fraser Centre and Arena 2; the Quesnel and District Arts and Recreation Centre; community art, sport and general recreation programming; the Quesnel Soccer Complex; Alex Fraser Park; Pioneer Park on Dragon Lake; Bouchie Lake Recreation Commission programs and facilities; Parkland Community Association programs and facilities; Barlow Creek Recreation Commission programs and facilities; LeBourdais Park; West Fraser Timber Park; the Riverfront Trail, and trail and other outdoor recreation initiatives.
READ MORE: Quesnel taxes increase, services drop in sample 2021 recreation budget
editor@quesnelobserver.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
