Budget hike goes ahead

By Jennifer Smith - Vernon Morning Star - February 13, 2008

A substantial tax hike this year could result in a future of penny-pinching councils in Coldstream. Since adopting the 2008 budget Monday, which includes a 9.17 per cent tax increase and quarterly sewer rate raise from $135 to $142, some councillors are eyeing a more prudent approach to items affecting the budget. “I find it very difficult to ask the people of Coldstream, many of whom are on fixed incomes, to pay for this increase,” said Coun. Bill Firman. While Firman joined the rest of his council in voting in favour to adopt the 2008 budget, he recommended the district cut back on some of its current spending. He pointed to events and functions such as the Ford World Women’s Curling Championships, O’Keefe Ranch and Okanagan Film Commission. “If we support these kinds of entertainment I would think we have too much money, but we don’t, we have to go to the taxpayers to get it,” said Firman. Resident Gyula Kiss agreed: “Those all come back to haunt you in terms of the budget.”

While funds for O’Keefe Ranch are directed from tourism grants received by Coldstream and don’t impact taxes, the district could back out of functions such as the Okanagan Film Commission to cut back on its spending. “Every time issues come before council, council must consider how it will affect the budget,” urged Kiss. Coun. Jim Garlick agreed with the idea of carefully considering future capital projects and funding requests as they come in. “There is a possibility of actually cutting back (the budget), if we’re prudent.” Although the budget has been approved it can be amended any time before the May 15 budget adoption deadline. The budget will be a major topic at a Coldstream Ratepayers’ Association meeting March 1 at 2 p.m. at the Women’s Institute Hall. “It’s not too late for the citizens to do something about this budget,” reminds CRA president Andy Danyliu. “They can throw out of office the people who passed it.” Suggestions that the district hasn’t done enough to trim back the budget were once again defended by Coun. Mary Malerby. “It was probably 25 to 35 hours that we did spend on that budget. We met every Monday for five weeks,” said Malerby. But compared to other communities, resident John Hegler says that’s not enough.“You can look around from Vancouver to New Westminster to... and you won’t find any municipality with this type of increase.” In Vernon, the city council recently found room to trim its tax hike from 5.07 to 3.49 per cent. Similarly in Vancouver, staff originally projected a six per cent tax hike, but with items such as strike savings, the city is trying to keep the increase to two or three per cent.