Tax hike could near 4.5%

[Anonymous123]

From the article on Castanet.

The proposed increase would mean an additional $88 on the average single-detached home in Kelowna with an assessed value of $682,260.

[whatwhat]

Well I know I've been told this a million and one times on these forums, so here I go...

"If you can't afford to live here, then move"

[normaM]

Maybe ppl are angry because on the heels of that announcement they plan to spend 3 mil to " upgrade " the basement of City Hall.
I agree - they will change it to 3.7 and ppl will be relieved.

[Anonymous123]

Consider yourselves lucky. Lake Country is proposing an 8.9% tax hike.

https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/243934/Taxes-could-rise-160

[soupy]

Public: "we want more policing downtown. We want better snow clearing. We want better flood protection. we want infrastructure improvements. we want more parks built. .... but we want it all without having a tax increase. use the imaginary money please"

What exactly do I (we) get for the exorbitant taxes we pay is this city. Everything they do is "on the cheap" and poorly thought out and done...……...they (the city managers, mayor and council) are unaccountable here. SOMEBODY (so-called high rollers) here are NOT paying their fair share for many of the improvements required around their grandiose visions of growth and only enhancing and ensuring their own "bottom line"...……...PROFIT FIRST!! We the taxpayers are getting screwed every year now by complete incompetence at this city hall.

What's the total education level of our city council? I do not believe there is ONE in there that has any measurable thought process to accountability.

Please disconnect your water and sewer service and stop travelling on public roadways.
If you could go ahead and take all your trash directly to the landfill instead of using curbside pickup that would be swell too.

[Urban Cowboy]

Public: "we want more policing downtown. We want better snow clearing. We want better flood protection. we want infrastructure improvements. we want more parks built. .... but we want it all without having a tax increase. use the imaginary money please"

What exactly do I (we) get for the exorbitant taxes we pay is this city. are unaccountable here. SOMEBODY (so-called high rollers) here are NOT paying their fair share for many of the improvements required around their grandiose visions of growth and only enhancing and ensuring their own "bottom line"...……...PROFIT FIRST!! We the taxpayers are getting screwed every year now by complete incompetence at this city hall.

What's the total education level of our city council? I do not believe there is ONE in there that has any measurable thought process to accountability.

You get CoK purchasing more top dollar lakefront property for parks of course.

They won't be content until they own all the beach within city boundaries, after which they'll expand the boundaries and go after more.

[stevemic]

TAX THE CHURCHES, somebody has to be the first

[twofingers]

If this was a real-world business scenario, where expenses are held in line as a percentage of revenue, I would promise you that there is already enough money in the pot to pay for real, adequate policing, as well as other necessary items required to keep it all operational...no bells; no whistles; just adequate servicing.
However, there seems to be a Carte Blanche attitude amongst the Sugar Pluminians, where we just gotta have all the extras.
As well, in the business world, we readily understand that 400 cops don’t do twice the work of 200 cops, so throwing more at the problem doesn’t do diddly until the root of the problem is dealt with.

[spooker]

The City is not a traditional business... it can't be run in the same way... it's not run for a profit, there is no "revenue" since they don't sell services or goods for a markup... they try to keep operating margins as tight as possible otherwise you have people crying foul... they use as much JIT stocking so that they don't have money sitting idle in inventory... they don't control their market, i.e. people moving in or out of the area...

We aren't "shareholders" ... we don't expect a "return on our taxes"...

Yes, we hold the mayor and council accountable through our votes ... yet the majority of people don't seem to give a to even do that ... and then you have to remember that their is a "staff" that isn't elected but runs a majority of operations ...

Sucks to say "it's complicated" ... but it is ... between my regular job, taking care of my family, and trying to have a life I can only give the budget the most cursory review ... sure I have differences with their priorities, but I'll do what I can to let them hear my voice in a reasoned way ...

[Jonrox]

A government of any type should never be run like a “real-world” business. A business would simply cut all programs and projects that don’t generate positive returns. Whenever someone brings up this suggestion it further reinforces why the general public is collectively a bunch of dummies that have no idea what it takes to run a city, province, or country.

[GreyGoose]

City Hall wages are absolutely crazy. Ron Matussi has a penision of over 200k!!!! If you would like to see a complete breakdown of the insane wages I have a list from a few years ago You won't believe it.

[Scrobins94]

City Hall wages are absolutely crazy. Ron Matussi has a penision of over 200k!!!! If you would like to see a complete breakdown of the insane wages I have a list from a few years ago You won't believe it.

The same guy that wants to spend $100k/year to add a bylaw officer to just enforce a new non-sensical signs bylaw?

[Anonymous123]

Scrobins94: the key word here is Pension.