Why are property taxes increasing?

According to cbc :Why are property taxes increasing?:Why property taxes in your municipality are likely to rise more than normal this year

Every year there are stories about local governments facing the potential for big tax increases while planning their annual budget, but this time in B.C., it seems more frequent than usual.

In the Okanagan, Lake Country expects an increase of between 10 and 19 percent. Victoria expects a 9% increase, Prince George approved an 8% increase, and there are many municipalities across the province seeking significantly higher annual increases than the 2-4% seen in the last decade.

“We also feel inflation, just like you would at home,” said Langley Mayor Nathan Pachal, whose community is expecting a 10 to 12 percent increase.

Inflation is a factor of higher expenses. But so are political priorities, especially after an election year: Pachal cited public safety and preparation for the new SkyTrain extension as places where they heard the need for new investment.

Another place with a higher demand for spending is basic infrastructure improvements, particularly in communities where public services were installed more than 50 years ago and are not up to current needs.

“We have wooden pipes under the Fraser Highway,” Pachal said.

"We need to replace them... with modern infrastructure, so that's really what this council was looking for: we need to invest, and the longer we wait, the more expensive it will be."

But the political culture of each municipality is a little different. Take the North Vancouver District, for example, where the council originally asked staff to reduce a proposed 5.5 percent increase to 4.5 percent, then saw backlash after staff recommended halting planned investments. on multiple bike lanes and walking paths.

"For me, it shouldn't be an either/or situation," Councilor Catherine Pope said.

“Those important projects will help reduce congestion, help reduce carbon emissions from cars and build a more active transportation future for our children, those are really important projects and we can't cut them for what amounts to peanuts.”

Time will tell if a large number of councilors in North Vancouver agree with Pope. Municipalities are legally bound to oversupply and have few levers available to achieve revenue goals outside of property taxes.

More than any other time of year, budget season is when local government tradeoffs really hit.

And the only guarantee is that the final decisions will not be taken into account for each voter.

Time will tell if a large number of councilors in North Vancouver agree with Pope. Municipalities are legally bound to oversupply and have few levers available to achieve revenue goals outside of property taxes.

More than any other time of year, budget season is when local government tradeoffs really hit.

And the only guarantee is that the final decisions will not be taken into account for each voter.