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Nanaimo homeowners facing 5.3% hike in fees, taxes

Nanaimo residential property taxes and user fees on an average home valued at $516,418 are on track to increase by $158 for a total of $3,117 this year. That is a 5.3% increase from last year.
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Staff at Nanaimo city hall have presented three scenarios for councillors to consider as they take a second look at a 2020-2024 financial plan.

Nanaimo residential property taxes and user fees on an average home valued at $516,418 are on track to increase by $158 for a total of $3,117 this year.

That is a 5.3% increase from last year.

Nanaimo council will vote on its 2020-2024 provincial financial plan on Monday. The property tax bylaw will be voted on for final adoption in April or May, a city statement said.

For property taxes alone, council has endorsed a 5.2% increase. That translates to an additional $109 for a typical house, taking it to $2,211 from $2,102.

A combination of three user fees, on top of property taxes, boosts the total contribution by municipal home owners to $3,117 on a average house, an increase from $2,959, last year.

Water fees are set to rise on an average home by $42 or 7.5% this year, sewer fees will move up by $6 or 4%, and sanitation fees are to increase by $1 or 0.6%, according to municipal documents.

Following initial approval at a December meeting, Mayor Leonard Krog said the financial plan “supports council’s strategic priorities to be a community that is environmentally responsible, livable, economically healthy and centred around good governance.”

Municipal property taxes are not the only taxes that show up on B.C. homeowners’ tax notices. Other taxes include schools, libraries and regional districts. Municipalities collect those taxes on behalf of the other agencies.

Nanaimo estimates its total 2020 revenues at $195.55 million. Of that, 60% comes from property taxes and 10% from water fees.

The remainder include investment income, grants in lieu of taxes, government grants and private contributions and development cost charges.

This year’s total operating expenses are predicted to come in at $152.83 million.

Parks, recreation and culture account for 18%, followed by RCMP at 16.5%, engineering at 15.8%, corporate services and facilities at 12.7%, and Nanaimo fire rescue and 911 at 12.4%.

Major expenditures coming up this year will total $52.855 million.

These projects include the city’s transportation infrastructure program at $11.38 million, water infrastructure at $11.2 million, and sanitary sewer infrastructure at about $7.4 million.

Residents will see the first phase of Metral Drive improvements, a continuation of the multi-year plan to replace the main fire station and installation of LED lights at Serauxmen Stadium.