The City of White Rock must approve a financial plan for 2022 by the provincially legislated deadline of May 15.
But before final discussion and approval the financial plan must be subject to a comprehensive review – and the city is inviting residents to be part of that process, by examining the draft plan and providing comments up until Feb. 16.
Major features of this year’s plan include an overall tax increase of 4.9 per cent (or $279) for an average single-family home and 4.2 per cent ($103) increase for a strata home.
A media release notes that these figures are the combination of a proposed property tax increase of 6.1 per cent and a proposed utilities tax increase of 2.5 per cent.
Reasons cited in the release include the “need to grow capital funding while maintaining service levels and keeping operating costs in check.”
It also “reflects a substantial contractual increase in policing costs, includes previously approved commitments, and provides a modest increase to protect for inflation in asset improvement funding,” the release said.
Residents can review the draft plan in detail at www.talkwhiterock.ca/financialplan.
The release also notes that a series of department-specific presentations will be scheduled from March 1 to March 9.
The meetings – which can be attended in-person or livestreamed – are also open to anyone “interested in understanding more about the factors affecting the budget decisions,” the release states.
Meeting information and agendas can be found at whiterockcity.ca/councilmeetings
