City of White Rock鈥檚 2018-2022 draft financial plan calls for tax increases starting with a close to four per cent bump next year.
While the public was invited to make submissions at the Dec. 11 finance committee meeting, only three residents provided comment. Council later called on staff to schedule readings for a financial plan bylaw, including a public hearing, in the new year.
Prior to public input, financial services director Sandra Kurylo outlined a version of the draft plan, which calls for a property tax increase for 2018 of 3.97 per cent. This, she said, equates to an increase of $136 on an average detached home, or $34 on an average strata property.
The plan outlines future projected tax increases of 3.02 per cent (2019), 2.88 per cent (2020), 2.76 per cent (2021) and 2.93 per cent (2022).
Also planned to increase next year are the secondary-suite service fee (by $10), the solid waste user fee (by $1) and summer waterfront parking rates (25 cents an hour).
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to comment on the fact that this meeting is being held at two o鈥檆lock on the afternoon of an election day (South Surrey-White Rock federal byelection Dec. 11), when people are at work and busy voting,鈥� said longtime council critic Garry Wolgemuth, who questioned the use of community amenity contributions (CACs) from a spate of development planned for the city, noting that 鈥渨ork has to be done for infrastructure, water mains, sewer mains.鈥�
鈥淲here it falls off the cliff is when we start spending this money that could be used for police vehicles, fire vehicles, city vehicles, and we build a big park and a big parkade for visitors and restaurant owners who might sell the extra gelato or a meal in the heaviest traffic times in the year,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his money could be spent for infrastructure and amenities that could benefit the whole city and not just a special group.鈥�
Following comment from Mayor Wayne Baldwin that 鈥渢here seems to be a misunderstanding of what CACs can鈥� be used for,鈥� Kurylo confirmed they cannot be used to purchase emergency vehicles or to replace water mains.
鈥淭hey have to be used for providing amenities and facilities and new things for the public鈥� such as extending walkways and purchasing parkland; purchasing public art and things like that,鈥� Kurylo said.
It was a meeting that only grew combative during remarks from resident Roderick Louis, who asked repeatedly if the city intended to develop a list of 鈥渇ormal municipal objectives鈥� that would be subject to scheduled review, in keeping with B.C.鈥檚 Community Charter.
Louis was warned by committee chair Megan Knight to 鈥減lease keep it civil鈥� and confine comments to the financial plan, after he went on a tirade against the 鈥渓ack of a comprehensive waterfront plan鈥� as called for by the city鈥檚 May 2009 strategic economic development plan.
鈥淐ouncil has a propensity to pick and choose their own objectives, not city objectives鈥� their own priorities, some would say ego projects, monuments to themselves that create headaches for them and angst in the community鈥� the $12-million highrise parkade on the waterfront, the $6-million upgrade of Memorial Park, a $15-million land-creation project on the waterfront,鈥� Louis said.
He was not satisfied with comments from city manager Dan Bottrill that the annual report, as called for in the Community Charter, does 鈥渋nclude a number of priorities and city objectives.鈥�
鈥淧riorities are not objectives,鈥� Louis repeated during Bottrill鈥檚 answer, before Knight interjected 鈥渢hat鈥檚 enough 鈥� please sit down.鈥�
Resident Mike Pearce, a former mayor of both Penticton and Quesnel, urged council to take Louis鈥檚 comments seriously.
鈥淗e鈥檚 speaking as a citizen and he has spent hundreds of hours developing his questions,鈥� Pearce said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 genuinely, in his mind, bringing forward issues to you in the best way he knows how.鈥�
Pearce asked if council had attempted to build the budget as a 鈥渮ero-based budgeting exercise.鈥� Citing the planned 3.97 per cent tax increase, Pearce said 鈥渨hat I used to do was go back to staff and pick another number 鈥� like 1.97 per cent 鈥� and ask them to run through the numbers.鈥�
Pearce also questioned the wisdom of using CACs to bolster city budgeting.
鈥淚 think they鈥檙e a trap 鈥� because when you are cash-starved, they鈥檙e easy to work their way into the hardcore things in the budget, and then you have to keep on and keep on with developers so you can get those,鈥� he said.
A rise in RCMP contract costs would account for almost a third of next year鈥檚 tax increase, according to Kurylo鈥檚 presentation. This includes two new police officers scheduled to start at the beginning of July. The city is also considering adding a firefighter, a human-resources assistant, a freedom-of-information clerk, an RCMP administrative clerk and four parks labourers.
