It’s that time again. Time to find out how much your taxes are going to increase next year.
Public Invited
Although the public is invited to an information session, this year there is only 1 session. Last year there were 2 sessions. More taxes, and less information? Sounds like my reduced watering days, and higher water rates.
No Details Available
If you’re wondering what’s included in the upcoming budget, what supplemental items are included, or what the preliminary tax increase is, join the rest of us. That info isn’t available yet.
A report is to be presented to Council the day before the public meeting, but it hasn’t been added to the agenda for the Committee of the Whole Meeting yet. As of Sunday, 3 days before the public meeting, the agenda says “The attachment to this report will be available as soon as possible”.
While I’m sure this isn’t intentional, nor intended to suppress online discussions prior to the meeting, it is concerning. The public should have more time to digest the information when it’s available, discuss it with their neighbors, and prepare their questions for City staff.
Social Media Posts
The City is notorious for not permitting comments on their posts, or for removing comments shortly after they are posted. This time however, there is at least one Facebook post where comments are being permitted.
The City has only replied to one comment, and that was to provide time and location details. I’ll acknowledge this is a start, albeit a small one.
Budget Questions
Like last year, if you have questions, you get to ask them one on one. While that might feel like you are getting personal attention, it ignores the simple fact that the rest of the public doesn’t get to hear your question nor the answer.
This is the same strategy used when there’s a new wet shelter (drug use permitted) coming to your neighborhood. There’s no public Q&A, nor a way to measure the importance to the community of a concern that may be raised.
Survey Caution
Just a cautionary note when filling out the budget survey. If you hand it in at the event, and you’ve written something deemed inappropriate, there may be consequences. Last year, one citizen criticized CAO Byron McCorkell, and as a result, was escorted out by the RCMP.
Security Presence
Try not to be intimidated if you see an unusual RCMP/CSO presence. Council and staff seem to have become increasingly fearful of the public, and we need to be sure they feel safe. If you’re planning to pull out your cell phone or a business card, just be sure to do it verrrrrry slowwwwwly.
Let’s Talk
The City keeps telling the public to go to their Let’s Talk site, but that doesn’t seem to be catching on with the public. I checked out the Budget 2026 page Saturday night, and there wasn’t much to see.
24 views, with the 1st question asked remaining unanswered. Is it because Beat Klossner asked it?
Is it because of his political affiliation? Or, because he was one of the citizens that tried to have Councillor Mike O’Reily disqualified from office? Or maybe because his entry contained a criticism of the RCMP?
Community Engagement Team
One of the main issues with the Let’s Talk site is the lack of engagement. Although questions are answered by the “Community Engagement Team”, that’s the end of the engagement. You can’t ask a follow up question, or comment on an answer that’s been given.
For example, one of the answers contains the comments: “You won’t find a detailed breakdown of RCMP spending anywhere within the City’s budget. The City contracts with the RCMP to provide policing services. Through this agreement, operational policing decisions and allocation of resources are the responsibility of the RCMP and are under their sole discretion”.
Considering Policing is shown to be the highest expense in the budget, wouldn’t you assume a fiscally responsible entity such as the City of Kamloops would require an explanation as to how the bill was determined? What exactly are we paying for and what are we receiving?
If we were armed with more information, maybe someone might come up with some other ideas. Maybe it makes sense to increase the number of CSOs and reduce the number of RCMP. Maybe even to the point where a new RCMP building is no longer required.
Build Kamloops
Remember that 1% Build Kamloops tax, for a mere $25 a year, increasing by another $25 each year for the following 4 years? You may want to start questioning that a little closer.
Who’s Doing the Math?
You may have heard that it will cost $3,250. That’s the number I saw in an iNFOnews.ca article How much Kamloops taxpayers will actually pay for the $275M loans that states “…it adds up to $3,250 in total over 30 years for the average home to pay off the City’s debt”.
For starters, 25 + 50 + 75 + 100 + 125 totals $375. Then 25 more years at $125 per year is another $3,125. Now my math says $375 + $3,125 totals $3,500, not $3,250. I’m sure it’s an honest mistake, but what if understating the amount by $250 resulted in you not going to the considerable effort of opposing the AAPs?
Only $25 More a Year
In the City’s example, they start with a tax of $2,500. 1% of that is $25. So we get taxed $2,525. The following year, we get taxed 2% which is $50.50. Wait a minute, I was told it would be $50 in year 2. What’s $0.50 between friends? It’s inaccurate, that’s what it is.
Taxes Increase
So the example above is assuming no other tax increase. But that’s not really what happened, is it? Our taxes went up 7.42%. Let’s rework that example above, assuming an increase of 7.42% each year.
7.42% of $2,500 is $180. So we get taxed $2,680. That does include the 1% for Build Kamloops, and everything is ok so far. It was only $25 for Build Kamloops. Now comes the following year and we look at the 2% for Build Kamloops. It has turned into $53.60.
What’s $3.60 between friends? Are we still friends? I hope so, because now I’m going to mention that this will go up even further as your home’s assessed value increases over time.
You Should Be There
It’s important to be informed. Plan to attend the information session if you can. Get a babysitter or whatever you need to do. Be prepared to ask lots of questions. Be prepared to ask more questions if the answers don’t seem to make sense.
And please keep in mind that the City is soon going to ask you to let them borrow another $150 million or more for a new RCMP building. Well, actually they’re going to assume you’re okay with that, and that you’ll let them know if you’re not.
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