West 麻豆精选 council is proposing an 11.4 per cent property tax increase in the city鈥檚 2024 provisional budget.
鈥淭his proposed increase is substantial and has not been taken lightly by management with considerable mitigation efforts to bring it down,鈥� a staff report to council states.
Expenditures are up in nearly every category.
The city鈥檚 capital budget, which pays for infrastructure projects, is projected at $33 million with some of the funding coming from gas taxes and reserves.
Included in the budget is $14 million for a new Fire Hall #32.
Council will use the Alternate Approval Process to ask the public to borrow $8 million for the project, while the balance will come from reserves and development cost charges.
READ MORE: West 麻豆精选 council asking public approval to borrow $8M for new fire hall
Also in the budget plan is renovation work at the Mount Boucherie Community Centre (MBCC), including a gymnasium addition.
A New Spaces grant from the province will cover $3 million of the cost, with the Growing Communities Fund contributing $1.5 million and the balance coming from reserves.
The MBCC is currently home to the city鈥檚 municipal offices and council chambers.
A new city hall and Okanagan Regional Library facility are expected to open in Jan. or Feb. 2024.
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The staff report notes that there is an unprecedented number of Grants In Aid (GIA) requests from community groups for 2024.
However, next year鈥檚 provisional budget has the same level of funding as 2023 for GIA.
A meeting to review applications, decide on limits and how to allocate the funds is set for Jan. 9.
Staff will provide a detailed first review of the financial plan to council on Dec. 12 and 13.
Several public budget consultation sessions are planned for Jan. and Feb. with feedback presented to council.
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