Residents of Sidney and Central Saanich already have an idea what might await them when it comes to pay their property taxes, while North Saanich residents have to wait a little bit longer.
Sidney currently plans to raise an additional $356,625 through general property taxes in 2020, an increase of 2.98 per cent from the previous year. Based on the average assessed single family home in Sidney ($695,000), this figure means an annual increase of $45 compared to 2019. (By way of background, an increase of one per cent raises $119,620 in additional revenue for the municipality as a whole).
This increase of $356,625 in property tax revenue will cover about 73 per cent of the additional property tax revenue needed to help fund the 2020 budget. The rest — $130,000 — will come in the form of taxes from new construction.
Staff have said this figure of 2.98 per cent will help fund several internal and external projects still awaiting council approval in representing a starting point for deliberations. They started Jan. 20 with a broad presentation and will resume Feb. 3 with council meeting as committee-of-the-whole going through various items in more detail. Any changes approved then will be back before council on Feb. 18, with additional meetings possible.
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Central Saanich’s 2020 draft budget meanwhile states the average single family homes in the municipality could expect to pay a total of $78, or 3.86 per cent, more in property taxes in 2020 than they did in 2019.
Central Saanich residents — unlike Sidney residents — also face higher water utility charges (up 3.4 per cent) and higher sewer utility charges (up 6.1 per cent).
Budget discussions in Central Saanich started on Jan. 25 with a public question-and-answer session featuring staff at the Central Saanich branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library on Clarke Road. Three formal budget presentations sessions involving council are scheduled for Feb. 10, Feb. 25 and March 23, each session starting at 7 p.m.
North Saanich council, meanwhile, is scheduled to discuss the budget March 5. “We will have the budget available at least one week prior (hopefully sooner),” said Rebecca Penz, North Saanich’s communications manager.
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