Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas believes the city is doing what it can to relieve cost pressure on residents in the 2023 budget.

91裸聊视频淲e basically had a couple of weeks or less to start going through the items that were a lot of priorities of previous councils,91裸聊视频� said Dyas.

What started out as a proposed 4.01 per cent increase on budget deliberation day (Dec. 8) was whittled down to 3.80 per cent by late afternoon.

READ MORE: Kelowna council approves less than 4 per cent property tax increase

91裸聊视频淚 think we did a good job,91裸聊视频� added Dyas. 91裸聊视频淚 think potentially this could be one of the better tax rates throughout the province this year.91裸聊视频�

Council asked staff to reconsider several budget items, including dipping into reserve funds to lessen the burden on Kelowna taxpayers. The approved tax rate for the 2023 preliminary budget sits at 3.80 per cent.

91裸聊视频淭his is one pressure that people are feeling right now in regard to this tax increase,91裸聊视频� said Dyas. 91裸聊视频淭here are so many other costs hitting our residents, that we felt if there was something we could do to relieve a little bit, it would be a good step for the city to do for citizens.91裸聊视频�

Dyas added drawing from reserves will give council and staff time to look at what the city91裸聊视频檚 priorities are going forward.

91裸聊视频淵es went to the reserves for some of items, but if you really look at what we went to the reserves for it was a few hundred thousand dollars.91裸聊视频�

The 3.80 per cent increase works out to an extra $86.88 on the average value single-detached home in Kelowna. It includes a one per cent public safety levy to fund the addition of six new RCMP members, four firefighters, and four bylaw officers.

Carryover requests will be presented to council in March and the final tax demand will be decided by council in April.

READ MORE: City of Kelowna staff awarded for being best at budgeting

gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com
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