West Kelowna Council has given the first reading to the 2025-2029 financial plan, which includes a proposed 7.43 per cent increase in municipal property taxes. 

This increase would cost the average homeowner, with a property assessed at $960,000, an additional $194 in taxes for 2025. However, actual amounts may vary depending on 2025 property assessments. The increase has been trimmed from the originally proposed 8.35 per cent.

The city shared details about the plan in a media release. Council will gather community input before the second and third readings and final adoption in the spring.

A base budget of $1.36 million will cover contractual agreements, inflation, transit service improvements and provincial housing initiatives. Another $900,000 will fund increased spending on the road rehabilitation program and allocations to infrastructure reserves. The city plans to spend $860,000 for 8.2 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) staff positions to keep pace with growth.

Increased safety and security measures come at $1.08 million and include two newly funded RCMP members and one front counter clerk for the detachment. Two additional flex firefighter positions and a 0.6 FTE administrative assistant are being added as a more cost-effective staffing model than paying overtime.

The fund will also be spent to increase transit security at the Boucherie and Westbank exchanges, wildfire mitigation in city parks, properties and rights of way, and a $2 per hour pay increase for paid on-call firefighters, as well as annual cancer screening and statutory holiday pay.

Council also reviewed $17.56 million in capital projects for 2025 including: 

• $3.8 million for water utility projects;
• $3.15 million for road rehabilitation;
• $1.8 million for fleet replacements and new equipment;
• $1.72 million for park upgrades such as the Anders Tennis Court replacement and playground repairs;
• $1.62 million for storm drainage projects.

The budget also includes $2.5 million to upgrade several municipal buildings and facilities:

• $700,000 for roof and arena condenser replacement for Jim Lind Arena; 
• $600,000 for arena condenser replacement at Royal LePage Place;
• $400,000 for Fire Hall #34 (Glenrosa) roof replacement;
• $308,000 for new lockers and furnace replacement at Johnson Bentley Memorial Aquatic Centre; 
• $300,000 for Fire Hall #33 (Rose Valley) roof replacement; 
• $115,000 for acoustic improvements in council chambers;
• $80,000 for parking lot design for city hall/library building. 

By the end of 2025, the city expects to have just under $20 million in reserves and $11 million in development cost charge reserves.

Public consultations on the draft plan are scheduled for late January and early February, including two in-person sessions, with dates yet to be finalized. Full budget details are .