Regional district property taxes on the rise in Okanagan-Similkameen

PENTICTON – Property taxes are up slightly as the Regional District Okanagan Similkameen board approves a $37.3 million budget for 2016.

Based on the value of an average home, Penticton property owners will pay $76.28 this year in the regional district portion of their municipal tax bill, which is up $2.02 from 2015.

Summerland homeowners will see property taxes rise to $87.39, up $2.34 from last year.

Oliver property owners will pay $385.04, which is $33.58 more than last year.

In Osoyoos, homeowners will pay $148.30, up $4.02 and in Keremeos the levy will be $306.10, $26.06 more than 2015.

Regional District finance manager Sandy Croteau says the largest turnout for the public meetings on the budget meetings was 14 people. She says there was “no resounding theme” regarding budget items, but the new $50,000 Fire Master Plan involving district fire departments did generate some discussion during the meetings.

Grants worth a total of $54,000 were handed out, including $20,000 to the recently held B.C. Games in Penticton, $12,000 to the Healthy Living Coalition, $10,000 to the Community Foundation, $5,000 to Alley Cats, $2,500 to the Meadowlark Foundation, $5,000 to the Southern Interior Beetle Action Coalition and $35,000 to the Okanagan Film Commission.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.