Âé¶čAV

Skip to content

User pay floated as option to help reduce West Âé¶čAV property tax hikes

Council has settled on a 7.31 per cent property tax increase for 2025
garrettmillsapfeb25
West Âé¶čAV Councillor Garrett Millsap at a Feb. 25, 2025 council meeting.

A 7.31 property tax increase has a West Âé¶čAV councillor urging more user pay options for city services.

Council gave second and third readings to the increase at its Feb. 25 meeting. Coun. Garrett Millsap noted that many public responses during budget consultations favoured maintaining or reducing services to limit tax increases.

He asked his colleagues to consider bringing in future revenue through user pay services and running the city like a business.

“Whether it’s paid parking or boat launch fees, or looking at the fees we’re charging for people using city facilities,” Millsap said. “It’s nice that we supplement a lot of the time, but the supplement comes with a cost to our taxpayers.”

Coun. Tasha Da Silva countered that the city is not a business, but a service.

“I look at what do our residents ask for, and what are we delivering in this budget. It was all of the things that are important to them
infrastructure, parks and recreation
safety,” she said.

During initial budget discussions in December, the property tax increase came at 8.35 per cent. It dropped to 7.43 in January and finally 7.31 Tuesday night.

Coun. Rick de Jong pointed out nobody is happy with tax increases. “The reality is, when you go back and look through the budget, I couldn’t find another area to cut without sacrificing services,” he said.

There was concern over the possible impacts that U.S. tariffs might have on the budget. Coun. Jason Friesen asked staff about contingency plans for the city’s larger expenditures if the tariffs are imposed.

“We’ll do fewer projects, just like we would do anytime if our tenders come in higher,” CAO Ron Bowles replied. “We haven’t looked at any changes, but we will wait and see.”

Last year’s property tax increase was 6.85 per cent.



About the Author: Gary Barnes

Journalist and broadcaster for three decades.
Read more