By Thia James

Taxes go up, but Pineview levy removal brings increase down

Nov 25, 2014 | 11:04 AM

Prince Albert city council approved the 2015 general fund budget on Monday, and that will mean a 2.3 per cent tax increase for residents and businesses.

The next step in the process will be to determine how the City will apply the tax increase to raise the needed $624,620 to cover the additions to the 2015 budget. The City is expected to increase municipal mill rates, and the mill rate amounts taxpayers pay are based on the assessed value of the property they own.

Financial services director Joe Day said administration is working on preparing the bylaws that council will need to pass in order to convert the budget approvals into what will be the tax changes.

“We are looking at a couple other things in the tax policy bylaw, but they’re mostly just minor. A little bit of shifting around of some of the existing revenues that are coming in just to try and find the right balance but that’ll still be something we’ll be recommending to council and see how their reception of that is.”

But the 2.3 per cent increase will be offset by the end of the $27 Pineview Terrace Lodge levy. The City has now fully funded its obligation to the Pineview Terrace Lodge, so now administration will recommend that council removes this line from the 2015 tax bills.

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On average, this will mean that property owners will see only a slight tax increase, Day said.

“It’s looking right now like the average residential property owner would be looking at something along the lines of a $20 to $25 tax increase overall after all things are said and done for the 2015 tax levies.”

The 2015 budget calls for the City to raise $34,038,940 in revenue from taxes to balance the general fund budget. It also includes about $1.36 million for fleet purchases, and $14.6 million for the Prince Albert Police Service.

The tax policy is expected to be approved on Dec. 8.

New planning and development director

Prince Albert has a new planning and development director, filling the vacancy created when Rick Stuckenberg resigned earlier this year.

The City has hired John Guenther, who is leaving his position as director of engineering and development services in Houston, B.C. He will be taking over the director position in Prince Albert on Jan. 12, 2015.

Jim Toye made the announcement in a statement on Tuesday morning.

“Prince Albert continues to grow with approximately $376 million worth of construction over the last five years,” said Toye in a statement. “We are very pleased to be welcoming a professional planner to our senior management team that has the knowledge and experience to guide the future growth and development of our City.”

Guenther was also the planning director in the City of Revelstoke.

 tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames