RCMP, fire department take largest share of proposed Kamloops tax hike

Kamloops property owners should be prepared for a 10.8 per cent tax increase next year as early indications show little room for adjustment in the budget.

The average household would see their annual property tax bill increase by $310. More than half of that is due to cost hikes for RCMP and firefighting.

All three account for a combined $87 million share of next year’s budget, nearly $10 million more than 2025, according to city hall’s early budget documents.

City council debated ways to cut down the steep overall increase, with many councillors hoping to bring it down to a six or seven per cent increase, like the most recent budget.

“That means we have to make a lot of difficult decisions,” Coun. Kelly Hall said at a Nov. 18 committee of the whole meeting.

RCMP costs are rising due to union negotiated wage increases and other costs, like new body cameras. Firefighting costs are similarly up due to a wage increase, along with a previously approved firehall expansion. Together, they make up an additional $168 to the average household.

“If we’re going to drive down the tax rate, we’ve got to start with areas with the biggest tax hit,” Coun. Nancy Bepple said, referring to policing costs.

That increase doesn’t include any costs associated with the planned new Kamloops RCMP detachment, which hasn’t been approved yet.

Along with policing and firefighting, city expenses are increasing due to inflation and US tariffs across multiple departments. Growth in the tax base is expected to reduce the overall tax increase by 0.5%, but staff noted a slowdown in growth in Kamloops over the past year.

Across all city departments, contracts and inflation account for around 6% of the budget increase and council approved costs over the past year account for 4.5%, costs like a new firehall and BC Transit expansions, according to a staff report.

The 2026 budget won’t be approved until spring and more changes are expected before its adoption.