Taxes for property owners in Qualicum Beach will be going up two-and-a-half per cent.
The Town of Qualicum Beach Tax Rates bylaw was adopted at a council meeting last week.
John Marsh, financial administrator and acting chief administrative officer, said although the town’s share of taxes went up three and a half per cent, the bottom line for the taxpayer is about 2.5 per cent, and for business owners, taxes are increasing by about one per cent.
The average assessed home in Qualicum Beach is $388,000 and a homeowner with a property of that value would pay $2,230 in taxes this year, up $75 from last year.
• The Town of Qualicum Beach is keeping its spending in check.
The total spending for general municipal purposes is down two per cent from last year, sitting at 22 per cent of the total annual budget, said John Marsh, financial administrator and CAO.
“Each per cent is about $94,000 so when I say we’re a couple per cent ahead that’s over 180,000, so it’s looking quite good so far this year.”
Spending on transportation is at 19 per cent of the annual budget compared to 23 per cent the town was at this time last year, environmental and public health spending is at 22 per cent compared with 24 per cent last year and in community development the town has spent 22 per cent of its budget compared with 28 per cent last year at this time. Parks and Recreation is also four per cent lower down to 20 per cent this year.
