As we move into another annual budgeting process at the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, it might be appropriate to review how your 2015 property taxes were allocated.
In 2015, $11,880,339 in property taxes was collected from Area C, and from this amount, $4,008,736 or 34 per cent was received by the regional district.
From the remaining amount of $7,871,603, the province kept $5,287,359 for school taxes, $1,314,964 for the Provincial Rural Tax, $293,143 for police services and $210,459 as the provincial collection fee.
The North Okanagan Columbia Shuswap Regional Hospital District received $631,752, BC Assessment Authority received $133,492, and the Municipal Finance Authority received $433.
The breakdown of funds allocated to the CSRD from Area C for 2015 was as follows:
• $879,180 to Area C fire protection;
• $655,971 to planning, bylaw enforcement, GIS/mapping, house numbering and development services;
• $637,736 to general government and electoral area administration;
• $477,769 to Area C parks;
• $387,150 to the Okanagan Regional Library;
• $184,353 to Tourism Shuswap, economic development, tourism information and the Shuswap Film Commission;
• $173,302 to solid waste management and recycling;
• $146,124 to 911 Emergency Communications, Shuswap Search and Rescue and emergency preparedness
• $125,141 to Area C electoral area grants in aid;
• $81,089 to milfoil control and weed control and enforcement;
• $71,930 to Shuswap Regional Airport
• $60,800 to Shuswap recreation complex;
• $32,550 to Area C street lighting;
$30,200 to Shuswap First Responders;
• $27,017 to Area C dog control and Shuswap SPCA;
• $26,594 to Area C transit services;
• $11,230 to Area C feasibility studies;
• $600 to anti-train whistling at the Elson Road crossing.
There are several points to note when reviewing these figures:
• The regional district has no general government fund and funds from Area C are not diverted to other electoral areas.
• The Provincial Rural Tax is collected by the province and is intended to fund rural roads and other provincial services.
• Costs for some services are shared across several electoral areas. Examples of these include development services, Shuswap Tourism, solid waste management and general and electoral government administration.
• Costs for several services are funded from property taxes collected from all of Area C.
Examples of these include Area C fire protection, Area C electoral grants in aid and Area C community parks.
• Costs for some services are borne specifically by sub-regions within Area C that are receiving the services.
An example is the Area C Street lighting service in Blind Bay and Sorrento.
As we move forward to budgeting for 2016 and beyond, I would be very pleased to receive your comments in regards to these budget allocations.
I would also like to wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.
-Paul Demenok is the Area C Director for the Columbia Shuswap Regional District
