20% property tax increase coming!

[The Equalizer]

I have finally had it. The DLC is moving forward with a plan to increase each and every property owner's tax bill in Lake Country by a flat fee $250.00 every year for the next 20 years to fund road reconstruction. In my modest home of 1400 sq feet -this equates to nearly a 20% increase ! I guess the fuel tax I pay and the carbon tax and the income tax and the property tax is just not enough to cover any of this repair. There is a meeting on Thursday about this plan and I want to get the message out to you all...because the DLC will ram this through if we all sit back and do NOTHING.
I hope and pray that next November a new group of people will want to run for council and mayor...because these guys CLEARLY have to go.
I moved here partly due to the fact that property taxes were affordable and have already seen my tax bill increase by over 100 % in those years. My water bill alone is catching up to my property tax bill on a yearly basis...

WHERE DOES THIS END ?

[Rwede]

That's outrageous! You're right, there has to be a wholesale change in 2014 to get rid of these idiots. They have no idea how to run a city.

[ixler8]

The $250.00 increase is just for the Transportation for Tomorrow , there will still be the regular % increase . And you wonder why no businesses want to move to main st .

http://lisacameronforokanagancentre.fil ... morrow.pdf

Out of Control !!!!

[Gone_Fishin]

Wow, that's crazy! DLC taxpayers should be getting a new slate of good candidates to run against those buffoons and kick them to the curb. What the hell are they doing to your community???

[Not Bob]

I don't know the process the city goes through to get these increases passed. Is it just once meeting of the council members and they can approve it?

[NOTYOU]

For those that are interested the meeting is at 5:00 pm...each and every homeowner should attend...enough is enough...

[ixler8]

Reading a little more it's going to be more like $300.00 per house hold.

"Our current annual shortfall to achieve a sustainable level of funding needed to reasonably take care of what we currently own is $1,500,000. This equates to approximately $300 per year per average household."

If I ran my business with current annual short fall , I wouldn't be in business long.

Meeting tonight 5-7 city hall , tell them what you think.

[erinmore3775]

This may be the most important town public meeting since the first opposition meeting to the proposed sewer implementation plan. That plan, which included a Public Private Partnership and a requirement that most residents of the District pay exorbitant sewer rates, whether they were to be serviced by sewer or not, is similar to the current "Getting around..." roads plan. Both showed/show a lack of planning and foresight.

I have included the following "glossy" references to the "Lake Country: Getting around in safe and enjoyable ways."

http://lisacameronforokanagancentre.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/2013-11-22-transportation-for-tomorrow.pdf
Getting Around Lake Country in safe and enjoyable ways

http://www.cawebdir.com/business-website/www.lakecountry.bc.ca
heart of the Okanagan transportation rationale page

https://lakecountry.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentDisplay.aspx?ID=33376
DLC Roads: Meeting our needs

https://lakecountry.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentDisplay.aspx?ID=33375
Transportation for Tomorrow....current cost estimates

Unfortunately the District Administration and politicians have provided little more than the above for the rationale and overall cost of this plan. The $250 projected annual cost per household over the next 20 years is only an estimate. It does not reflect the true costs of construction, nor does it take into account inflation.

I believe that District taxpayers should be asking their politicians, what does Plan B or Plan C look like? How would significantly raising Development Cost Charges for road, water, and sewer infrastructure affect the proposed tax hikes? How do the DCC's compare to surrounding communities?

Since one of the drivers of this road improvement plan is the OCP and a desire "...to meet our community vision of providing safe alternatives to cars..." should we not be examining these OCP goals and asking is they are fiscally achievable with the tax base of the District of Lake Country.

I sincerely hope that a large number of DoLC taxpayers attend this meeting and let their thoughts be known. If you cannot attend, at least contact:
Greg Buchholz, Operations Manager
Tel 250-766-5650 x222 or [email protected]
and let your thoughts be known.

[RichardW]

So, I took a look at the District's website on this subject. It wasn't that difficult to find information, and there is a survey for residents to submit their response. I got stuck on this question. What should my answer be, and why?

8. Please indicate your choice:

a) I am prepared to make the investment necessary (approx. $250 per year per average household) to maintain, renew and improve the current road infrastructure.

b) I am NOT prepared to make the investment necessary and I will accept reduced levels of service with the understanding that this means many roads may return to gravel over time and maintenance services such as snow removal will be reduced; and I accept the risk that advanced road deterioration will increase future costs and defer active tranportation solutions (sidewalks/bike paths etc.).

Link to survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Transportation4Tomorrow

[RichardW]

I haven't spent a lot of time looking into this, so I might be picking the wrong end of the stick up here, but do I take it that the following link is how the District wants to spend my extra $250 (x 6000 households(?) I assume - that would be $1,500,000).

https://lakecountry.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentDisplay.aspx?ID=33375

If so, the biggest expenditure item on the list is snow removal. Hitherto, I have been perfectly happy with snow removal. Not sure if that is everyone's experience in Lake Country, but if anything they could probably back off quite a bit before I started to care about reduction in service.

In which case, why does it appear on this budget for new funding? Is the district repackaging services we already pay for and selling them to us again?

This web page, or at least the You Tube videos therein, seem to imply that new funds are required to stop the District's roads from falling apart, and yet I am struggling to recognise any item on the above budget that would address this problem.

http://www.okanaganway.ca/municipal/municipal-services/streets-roads/transportation-for-tomorrow/

Hopefully, I've misunderstood.

[NOTYOU]

]

If so, the biggest expenditure item on the list is snow removal. Hitherto, I have been perfectly happy with snow removal. Not sure if that is everyone's experience in Lake Country, but if anything they could probably back off quite a bit before I started to care about reduction in service.

In which case, why does it appear on this budget for new funding? Is the district repackaging services we already pay for and selling them to us again? d.

I have to agree with you, that is exactly what they are saying...they seem to think DLC residents will fall for their BS...as for the question you referred to on Survey Monkey...the two options for answers are again BS...either we approve the tax increase or the services already in place will be cut/gone...TIME FOR A CHANGE IN TOWN COUNCIL....funny that the increase coincides with developing Pelmewash Parkway...I don't recall DLC residents having a say in that development...

[erinmore3775]

I completed the survey and I too stumbled on question 8. I have requested more information. I have asked for public meetings and the release of detailed information. However, next year is too late for information and a change of course. We must demand it now.

[RichardW]

I have to agree with you, that is exactly what they are saying...they seem to think DLC residents will fall for their BS...as for the question you referred to on Survey Monkey...the two options for answers are again BS...either we approve the tax increase or the services already in place will be cut/gone...TIME FOR A CHANGE IN TOWN COUNCIL....funny that the increase coincides with developing Pelmewash Parkway...I don't recall DLC residents having a say in that development...

Well, maybe I jumped to the wrong conclusion - it might just be coincidence that the 'maintenance' budget equals the budget increase sought. Not sure, though.

Assuming the information provided by the District is accurate, here are the facts of the budget (as opposed to assumptions):

Current budget = $3.1 million
Proposed increased budget = $4.6 million
$1.5 million is spent on basic maintenance (snow removal, pot holes, sweeping, vegetation control...), presumably this is under the current budget, but that is not clarified.

It would be nice to see a comparative budget for the $3.1 million vis-à-vis the $4.6 million.

[Gone_Fishin]

8. Please indicate your choice:

a) I am prepared to make the investment necessary (approx. $250 per year per average household) to maintain, renew and improve the current road infrastructure.

b) I am NOT prepared to make the investment necessary and I will accept reduced levels of service with the understanding that this means many roads may return to gravel over time and maintenance services such as snow removal will be reduced; and I accept the risk that advanced road deterioration will increase future costs and defer active tranportation solutions (sidewalks/bike paths etc.).

That's a complete case of fear-mongering, and says something about how the DLC council and mayor are trying to scare people into giving their support for a pre-determined path of excessive spending. This is unacceptable, and I think that this mayor and council should be publicly held out to dry on this. 2014 elections cannot come quickly enough for the taxpayers of DLC.

[Kalvin K]

That's a complete case of fear-mongering, and says something about how the DLC council and mayor are trying to scare people into giving their support for a pre-determined path of excessive spending. This is unacceptable, and I think that this mayor and council should be publicly held out to dry on this. 2014 elections cannot come quickly enough for the taxpayers of DLC.

I've got to agree! You couldn't find a better example of wording a survey to manipulate the results. Really tired of this kind of crap...