Kelowna city taxes to rise $80 in 2022

Following an all-day meeting, Kelowna city council has approved a preliminary budget that will see the average homeowner pay an extra $80 in municipal taxes in 2022, or about $6.67 per month.

“Council has approved a preliminary budget with a focus on maintaining essential services our residents rely on us to provide every day, along with renewing existing assets as much as possible,” said Kevin Hughes, Financial Planning Manager.

The proposed taxation demand totals $166.4 million, an increase of $8.7 million over last year.

The preliminary 2022 budget focuses on community safety, with an additional 17 safety related positions approved by council, including 11 new RCMP members.

Another focus area identified for funding includes post-pandemic community vibrancy, with investments to expand the Capital News Centre and advance the design-phase of rebuilding the Parkinson Recreation Centre and the Island Stage in Waterfront Park.

Transportation is another key investment focus, with $15.6 million in transportation projects to ensure that our growing community can continue to get around safely using traditional and alternate forms of transportation.

City staff had proposed a $166.2 million taxation budget for council’s consideration at the Dec. 6 public meeting. Today’s meeting provided an in-depth discussion of which programs and services to fund, and which ones to defer or cancel. Carryover requests will be presented to council in March and the final tax demand will be decided by council in April 2022.

“Strong financial management and clear direction have served our community well for many years and I am confident that we have built a budget that reflects this culture,” said City Manager Doug Gilchrist. “We are headed into the new year with optimism and we are well positioned for a strong economic recovery and significant advancement of our community goals in 2022.”

Most budget items are funded from sources other than taxation, including fees and charges, reserves and grants. Kelowna’s longstanding financial strategy provides it the luxury of having a lower reliance on taxation than many municipalities.

For example, securing more than $20 million in grant funding in 2021 helped reduce the cost to homeowners to improve critical infrastructure to protect the environment and reduce the risk of flood damage in the years ahead.

To review the 2022 Financial Plan, subscribe for budget e-updates and for more information about the City of Kelowna budget, visit kelowna.ca/budget.