Friday, March 14, 2008

Vernon Taxes to go up 2.25%

At the special COW budget meeting after 4 hours of deliberations Council tentatively approved a tax increase of 2.25%. (This is not including fire taxes which are a separate tax item.)

The staff's final budget of a 3.01% increase was reduced by a further $120,000 which is approximately .75%. (1%= 160,000). The small reduction came from deleting $60,000 which would have topped up the Assisted living Reserve from $550,000 to $610,000 and was proposed by Coun. Cunningham. The other $60,000 came from Coun. Beardsell's motion to eliminate the Yards perimeter fence from the capital budget. Coun. Beardsell's motion to instruct staff to look to reserves to reduce the tax increase to 0% failed to find a second. (This would have necessated a further reduction of about $360,000.)

The budget will move forward at a 2.25% increase and go to public hearing at a future COW meeting.

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