Spallumcheen residents will face a small tax increase in 2016.
Work has begun on the township’s five-year financial plan which shows a possible increase of 2.5 per cent in 2016.
“We began at 3.14 per cent but we asked our financial officer (Amy Vienneau) to go through the budget and see if there was a way we could get that number down,” said Janice Brown, the township’s mayor.
The increase is inclusive of infrastructure costs in the plan.
“The increase is not what it’s going to be, but it’s a starting point,” said Coun. Todd York.
In a report to council, Vienneau said preliminary work on the five-year plan began over the last number of weeks which includes preliminary budget meetings with public works, the Armstrong Spallumcheen Fire Department and Armstrong Spallumcheen Parks and Recreation.
The township’s capital equipment program has two vehicles identified to purchase in 2016: a fire truck ($765,000) and a public works grader ($400,000), and there are four projects scheduled on the 2016 capital roads program.
Work on the plan will continue through April, when a final draft is expected to be presented to council on April 18.
Adoption of the five-year plan is tentative slated for May 2.
