Developers in the North Peace might begin seeing a new charge levied per residence that would go towards School District 60. School Site Acquisition Charges are not new to B.C., but are new to the local school district. The charges depend on current land costs and are levied to help a school district pay for up to 35 per cent of the costs for acquiring new school sites, says Doug Boyd, secretary treasurer at the School District. Fort St. John has the highest birthrate per capita in B.C. and one of the highest in Canada. In 2010, there were 609 births in Fort St. John. In a few years, these children will be entering a school system that Boyd says is already at capacity in some areas. The charges are levied at either the subdivision or permit stage and Nick Weswick, the District’s controllers, says the charges levied in this area could vary anywhere between $300 and $500 dollars per residence. However, this amount is less than the $1,000 maximum the Province allows school districts to levy. The School District will be holding a special meeting on June 6 to pass a resolution on the levies and then the resolution will be sent to the various municipalities, which will have 60 days to respond. After the 60-day period, the Board will pass a bylaw. Then, the Board will present its capital plan to the Ministry of Education for approval. If that plan is approved, the charges will then be implemented. Boyd says they could be implemented as early as spring 2012. The Board will be holding a meeting and presentation on School Site Acquisition Charges on Wednesday, May 18 at the Board office in Fort St. John starting at 7 p.m.
----------
School Site Acquisition Charge Regulation
- [PDF] IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE:
No comments:
Post a Comment