Kelowna council to consider shrinking proposed property tax increase

While the City of Kelowna is trying to ease the financial impact of COVID-19 on taxpayers they’re still raising property taxes this year, just not as much as first proposed.

City staff are recommending council lower its proposed 4.15 per cent increase in property taxes for this year down to 2.05 per cent.

That means the owner of a single-family home with an average assessed value of $676,100 will pay an extra $43 in property taxes this year.

Most of the savings are being made possible because the City won’t hire some of the staff they planned to hire, will cut the number of summer and contract workers and reduce the amount spent on consulting and materials.

City council will debate the change on Monday, May 4.

West Kelowna has lowered its property tax increase by two per cent to 2.8 per cent.

Both cities, along with most others in the Okanagan, are also allowing people to pay their taxes late without incurring any penalties until the fall.

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